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Anonymous: Helen of Troy (Flame Tree Collections UK 978-1835628072, $30.00, 368pp, formats: hardcover, 10/13/2026)

Anthology of stories based on the legend of Helen of Troy. Introductory essay by Bella Vivante, and foreword by Emily Hauser. Part of Flame Tree’s Myths, Gods, and Immortals series. This is an international hardcover edition simultaneous with the Flame Tree UK edition.

 

Anonymous: Of Blood & Petals (Flame Tree Collections UK 978-1835628096, $30.00, 416pp, formats: hardcover, 10/13/2026)

Anthology of fantasy stories themed around forbidden love, with 25 illustrations. Foreword by Ella d’Avoine. Part of Flame Tree’s Romantic Fantasy series.

 

Anonymous: The Tarot of Love (Flame Tree Collections UK 978-1835628102, formats: hardcover, 10/13/2026)

Anthology of fantasy stories. Foreword by Niamh Rose. Part of Flame Tree’s Romantic Fantasy series.

 

 

Buehlman, Christopher: The Thrice-Bound Fool (Tor 978-1250621214, $29.99, 384pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Fantasy novel, second in the Blacktongue series. Thief Kinch has to decipher a sentient ancient book that tries to kill him, and finds himself on the run with knight Galva. Simultaneous with the Orion UK/Gollancz edition.

 

Campbell, Annabel: The Void Dragon (Orbit US 978-0316580830, $19.99, 496pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Fantasy novel, second In the Shattered Lands series. Naila’s powers threaten to escape her control, and with dragonriders after her, she seeks sanctuary at the library of Awasef. Simultaneous with the Orbit UK edition.

 

Cassidy, Nat: Nestlings (Titan Books UK 978-1835418895, £10.99, 432pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Horror novel. Ana, paralyzed by complications giving birth, wins an affordable housing lottery in a beautiful old NYC building, but after moving in with her husband, sees bite marks on the baby. Originally published October 2023.

 

Chambers, Becky: As You Wake, Break the Shell (Harper Voyager US 978-0062936066, $32.00, 480pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

SF novel, first in a duology. Cora, a pilot who guides a living ship and is struggling with “mindbleed,” forms a bond with Signy, a reclusive botanist, on the struggling planet Fortune. Simultaneous with the Hodder & Stoughton UK edition.

 

Dawson, Delilah S.: Monstera (Titan Books UK 978-1835416013, $25.99, 192pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Horror novel. Lucy moves into an old house in Savannah and is drawn into a propulsive romance with Saskia, a secretive bodybuilder who keeps a flourishing garden.

 

Dimitri, Francesco & McDougall, Sophia: Pan (Tor 978-1250406989, $28.99, 464pp, formats: hardcover, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Fantasy novel, blending elements of the Roman god with Peter Pan. Pan returns to present-day Rome, and children start dreaming of an island and fighting pirates. Translated from the Italian (Marsilio 2008) by Sophia McDougall. Ebook also available.

 

Dunn, Kat: Rottenheart (Zando 978-1638934653, $28.95, 320pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Queer romance horror novel, a reworking of Hamlet. Odette, traumatized by her mother’s death and her father’s remarriage to the cruel Claudine, learns her mother’s ghost haunts their manor, Herne House. First US edition (Manilla Press UK 6/26).

 

Faubion, Rebekah: What a Nightmare (Penguin Random House/Berkley 979-8217192144, $20.00, 368pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Queer horror novel. Repressed receptioning Haven Powers has a dream about her boss dying that comes true the next day, and feeling stifled by her family and conformist town, embarks on a path to revenge.

 

Forest, Susan: Rivers of Ivy (Laksa Media Groups 978-1988140636, $21.00, 446pp, formats: paperback, 10/13/2026)

Fantasy novel, first in the Addicted to Heaven: The Next Generation series. After family catastrophe, Ivy Garton feels to Highglen, a city where magic is enslaved and industry is on the rise, to infiltrate the corrupt elite.

 

Goldsmith, Amy: A Darker Act (Penguin Random House/Delacorte 978-0593814383, $12.99, 368pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

YA horror. Hazel played the lead role in a local play based on legends of a huntsman on the moors, but something horrible happened — a year later, Hazel and her castmates have to face the presence they awoke.

 

Goodman, A.B.: House of Atreus: Quest (Planetary Books 979-8233142161, $6.99, 154pp, formats: ebook, 10/15/2026)

SF novel, fifth in the House of Atreus series. In a world where the ancient Greek gods were actually ancient artificial intelligences, Orestes reunites with his sister and faces trial in Athens.

 

Hackwith, A.J.: Goblin Market (Titan Books UK 978-1835418970, £18.99, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Fantasy novel. Toast is a goblin changeling raised by humans, struggling to adapt to the Goblin Market; when human Sam is accused of murder, Toast has to prove her innocence. The author is Amanda Hackwith, who also writes SF romance as Ada Harper. Simultaneous with the Ace edition.

 

Jones, Stephen Graham: Off the Reservation (Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-1668225127, $32.00, 416pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Horror novel, sequel to The Only Good Indians. Nate and some older Blackfeet set out to repatriate the bones of a Blackfeet boy who died at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, only to find that something has taken the bones first.

 

Jung, Lynn D.: Mothsblood (Bloomsbury USA 978-1639737888, $30.00, 352pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Fantasy novel. Alchemist Larkspur investigates the death of her university’s headmistress, wary that the case is drawing her closer to the cult called Promethean Genesis. Simultaneous with the Del Rey UK edition.

 

Lamberti, Luciano: To Bewitch a Hunter (HarperVia 978-0063455726, $28.00, 320pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Literary horror novel. An old stalker tells Julia Ruiz that she’s her real grandmother, and warns Julia her parents aren’t her real parents, forcing Julia to confront events during Argentina’s military dictatorship. Translated from the Spanish by Frank Wynne.

 

Levine, Jenna: Love You to Death (Penguin Random House/Berkley Romance 978-0593819937, $20.00, 352pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Paranormal romance novel. Lucy is killed by a bus, and offers a deal to jaded, handsome reaper Daniel: six more weeks of life, and he can spend time on earth. Copyrighted by Jennifer Prusak.

 

Lewellen, Lyndsey: Karabos (Enclave Escape 979-8886052961, $35.37, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Young-adult fantasy novel. Winslet, homeschooled entomologist, enters the Tournament of Scarabs to save her family and become a magical insect hunter.

 

Liss, David: The Death and Birth of Iliana Marek (Tachyon Publications 978-1616964696, $18.95, 304pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 10/13/2026)

Paranormal crime novel. In rural Florida, Iliana, foster daughter of the corrupt police chief, suddenly starts defending Dan, the town’s most unpopular person — a drug addict who’s been told he led a woman to suicide ten years ago.

 

MacDonald, Alexander: The Spaceflight Narrative: A Literary History of Leaving Earth (MIT Press 978-0262056830, $45.00, 286pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 10/13/2026)

Non-fiction.A critical look at the “conceptual development of spaceflight” as it appears throughout science fiction history, covering works from the 1620s through the 1890s.

 

Maclean, Will: Solace House (Grove Atlantic/Grove 978-0802168689, $28.00, 512pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Horror novel. Alex, a university student clearing out a run-down Victorian mansion, uncover elaborate and eerie journals from a former owner about a mysterious realm next to ours First US edition (Atlantic UK 5/26).

 

Marlowe, Mallory: Entities to Lovers (Penguin Random House/Berkley 978-0593956335, $20.00, 368pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Paranormal rom-com novel. Medium and ghost-tour guide Rory is forced to host a tour with cocky professor Ezra, only for them to upset a matchmaker’s ghost and end up hexed. Simultaneous with the Bloomsbury UK/Head of Zeus/Aria edition.

 

McDonnell, C.K.: Ring the Bells (Penguin Random House UK/Bantam UK 978-0857505392, $33.99, 400pp, formats: paperback, 10/10/2026)

Paranormal holiday murder novel. During a Chistmastime book club, a local librarian is possessed by a chaotic entity who’s set on murdering first the book club members, then the rest of humanity.

 

McGuire, Seanan: Be Sure, Volume II (Tordotcom 978-1250459305, $21.99, 576pp, formats: paperback, 10/13/2026)

Collection of the fourth, fifth, and sixth books in the Wayward Children series. In three adventures, children visit strange worlds and encounter strange creatures, from goblins to kelpies. Illustrated by Rovina Cai.

 

Miller, Rowenna: The Dancer and the Dream Thief (Orbit US/Redhook 978-0316571920, $19.99, 400pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Historical fantasy novel. During an alternate Prohibition where dreams are sold illegaly, dancer Evelyn investigates the disappearances of her fellow girls and joins forces with Raife, who sells human dreams to elves.

 

Mooney, Kate: The Woman of the House (Penguin Random House/Berkley 979-8217189885, $30.00, 336pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Supernatural horror novel. In their lakeside house, Rose tries to hide her secrets from her husband, but scratches on her arms start appearing, and the woman who lived there before her vanished.

 

North, Claire: As We Fall Through Time (Orbit US 978-0316586467, $19.86, 416pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

SF time travel novel. A rupture in history disrupts the lives of Cal — a time traveler who falls in love with a Drench soldier doomed to die — and Fadimatu, an ancient woman who sees her own mummy in a modern museum. North is a pen name for Catherine Webb, who also writes as Kate Griffin. Simultaneous with the Orbit UK edition.

 

Norton-Kertson, Justine: Gutterspace (Stars and Sabers 979-8992845808, $13.99, 142pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 10/13/2026)

Horror novella. A washed-up Portland artist is pitted against a monster that lurks in the panels of an old comic book. Interior illustrations by Ahmed Raafat.

 

Proudman, Sandra: The End of Us (Penguin Random House/Joy Revolution 979-8217118199, $19.99, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Young-adult SF novel. In the post-apocalyptic Wasteland, Rico wins a lottery to the safe haven oasis, but gives it up for his lover Jules — only for him to find out that it was rigged, and Jules is in danger.

 

Rekulak, Jason: Look What the Cat Dragged In (Macmillan/Flatiron 978-1250895875, $29.99, 352pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Thriller/horror novel. Cartoonist Penny agrees to catsit a strange feline named Godfrey, but after a week in her house, Godfrey seems to bring violent nightmares, disturbing new drawings, and insects. Features 80 pages of original artwork.

 

Rivers, Erynne: Wench (HarperCollins/Avon 978-0008798246, $24.90, 400pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Robin Hood-inspired fantasy romance novel. Maid Marian, unhappily betrothed to the Sheriff of Nottingham, is kidnapped in the forest by the notorious fae Merry Men and Robin Hood. First US edition (Avon UK 7/26). A first novel.

 

Roberts, Adam: Frankenstein Rex (Orion UK/Gollancz 978-1399617727, £25.00, 288pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 10/15/2026)

SF horror novel. Frankenstein’s monster, aided by his giant height and strength, becomes world dictator, and to prepare for his own death returns to his maker’s research to create an heir.

 

Sangoyomi, O.O.: Dreamweaving (Page Street 979-8890034465, $22.99, 400pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Young adult fantasy novel. Deja, a newcomer at prestigious Tanglewood Preparatory School who’s been shielded by her family’s witch legacy, shares disturbing dreams with straight-A school queen Tóbi.

 

Silver, Josie: Merry Spooky Love (Penguin Random House/Dell 978-0593983041, $20.00, 288pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 10/13/2026)

Fantasy romance novel, third in the Melody Bittersweet series. Melody and the Girls’ Ghostbusting Agency face the ghost matriarch of a local department store, who doesn’t want her living children to sell out. The author has also written as Kat French.

 

Willett, Edward: On Spec 2026: New Canadian Literature of the Fantastic (Shadowpaw Press 978-1-998273-72-0, $29.99, 460pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 10/13/2026)

Anthology of 28 original stories of fantasy, science fiction, and horror by Canadian authors, a continuation of the magazine.

 

Zeller, Mathilda: It Looks Like You in the Dark (Tor/Nightfire 978-1250402035, $27.99, 288pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/13/2026)

Horror novel. When Tapeesa’s sister Esther goes missing from their Alaskan Inupiat village, Tapeesa must contend with white rare-earth miners and a hungry creature as the long dark of winter sets in. A first novel.

 

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Anderson, Kevin J.: Sleep With the Fishes (WordFire Press 978-1680578652, $15.99, 276pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, 10/06/2026)

Urban fantasy noir novel. When an immortal mafia Don is sentenced to eternal life in prison, the resulting power struggle means Dan Shamble has to deal with Sammy the Salmon along with his other supernatural cases and ex-wife.

 

Andrews, LJ: The Stolen Crown (Ace 978-0593955116, $30.00, 512pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Fantasy romance novel, fourth in The Ever Seas series. In a world of fae factions, Mira is shipwrecked with Tait Heartwalker, a frustratingly handsome royal, only to discover a secret that threatens the kingdom.

 

Anning, Benedict: Atomic Coffin (Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-0857508881, $30.15, 336pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Cosmic horror novel. Heidi, codename Thistle — a British spy in East Germany — discovers that a previously unkown Soviet submarine has been motionless and undetected in the ocean for three years. First US edition (Bantam UK 6/26).

 

Bailey, Tessa: Broken Rival (HarperCollins/Avon 978-0063381018, $30.00, 416pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

SF novel. Eighteen-year-old Magnolia lives an ordinary teenage life, with one secret — her brilliant and persecuted parents invented time travel 50 years in our future, and sent her back in time to protect her from hunters.

 

Cameron, Miles: Soulstealer (Orion UK/Gollancz 978-1399632645, £25.00, 384pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/08/2026)

Fantasy novel, first in the Soulflake Conspiracies series. Arcanist Bekka Trevelyan, on a field trip over the Yule holidays, is pulled into the investigation of the kidnapping of an indigenous woman and her child by a demon. Author writes historical fiction as Christian Cameron.

 

Cogman, Genevieve: A Scholar’s Guide to Demonology and Other Dark Arts (Macmillan/Tor UK 978-1035073924, £20, 384pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/08/2026)

Fantasy novel, first In the Grayne’s Academy series. Philomela drops out of her PhD to become a Latin teacher at a girls’ school, but discovers it’s a secret training facility for elite demonologists.

 

Cole, Kamilah: Wicked Endeavors (Little, Brown UK/Atom 978-0349125879, £9.99, 336pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Young-adult fantasy novel. Young-adult fantasy romance novel. In a deadly court of witches, infiltrator Caya must join forces with Bas, a frustratingly handsome co-conspirator. First UK edition (Little, Brown US 9/26).

 

Connor, Quinn: Your Beloved Remains (Macmillan/Flatiron/Pine & Cedar 978-1250461049, $28.99, 272pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Southern gothic horror novel. To save the moldering Basin College in the Ozarks, archivist Celia recruits postdoc Joan to forge the manuscript of a lost horror novel by the school’s 19th-century benefactress, with whom Celia has been infatuated.

 

Delemhach: The Dues and Don’ts of Magic (Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-1668234105, $30.00, 384pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Fantasy romance novel, the first in the Magic Dues trilogy. Witch Spidena runs a magic shop at the edge of town, and is approached by fugitive Benthrop asking if she can make his nefarious pursuers forget him.

 

Emerald, A.T.: Under the Iron Sky (Penguin Random House UK/Del Rey UK 978-1529993493, £22.00, 560pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/08/2026)

Romantic fntasy novel, first the Under the Iron Sky series. In a world of deadly creatures ruled by the Dar’rak, rebel Soraya is captured by The Demon, a frustratingly handsome enemy soldier.

 

Erikson, Steven: Legacies of Betrayal (Tor 978-0765323613, $28.99, 320pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Epic fantasy novel, third in the Tales of Witness series, sequel to the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. A new holy war erupts in the burned-out Seven Cities, and teh Fifth and Sixth squads embark on a hopeless mission. Simultaneous with the Penguin Random House UK/Bantam UK edition.

 

Froud, Brian: Brian Froud’s Green Women (Abrams 978-1419783746, $34.41, 168pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 10/06/2026)

Art book/anthology. 72 Froud are paired with original stories and contributions by women authors, including Lisa Tuttle, Sarah Beth Durst, Amal El-Mohtar, Jo Walton, T. Kingfisher, and more.

 

Gray, Jordan Stephanie: Devoured (Little, Brown 978-0316584579, $19.99, 464pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Young-adult fantasy romance novel, the second in the Bitten series. In a deadly court of werewolves, infiltrator Vanessa must join forces with Calix, a frustratingly handsome threat.

 

Guanzon, Thea: This Shattered Tempest (Harper Voyager US 978-0063277359, $34.00, 496pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Fantasy novel, third and final in the Hurricane Wars series. In a world of Shadowforged and Lightweaver factions, Talasyn plunges towards war with Alaric, her frustratingly handsome husband.

 

Hall, Julie: The Secrets of Everlight (Ace 979-8217191390, $20.00, 496pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Fantasy romance novel. In a deadly court of fae, infiltrator Rowan must join forces with Dryden, a frustratingly handsome prince.

 

Harris, Joanne: Sleepers in the Snow (Pegasus Crime 979-8897102020, £22.00, 272pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/08/2026)

Ghost story/thriller. A new occupant, looking for a fresh start after a bitter divorce, moves into a cozy house on the moor, but the animals around start acting strange. Simultaneous with the Orion UK/Gollancz edition.

 

Hazelwood, Ali: Bound | Unboud (Penguin Random House/Berkley Romance 979-8217192717, $30.00, 416pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Duology of paranormal romance novellas. In “Bound,” a con artist and professor bond over an arcane text, and in “Unbound,” ancient immortal Lilit of Nineveh starts a relationship with a mortal doctor.

 

Huddleston, Tom H.: The Cracks (Titan Books UK 978-1835413036, £9.99, 368pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 10/06/2026)

Horror novel. Widowed Sandra is invited by her wealthy friend and his wife to their dilapidated manor, Hautmond Hall, where visitors have mysterious accidents and there’s a secret room in the cellar. A first novel.

 

Jones, KC: House Haunters (Tor/Nightfire 978-1250440969, $18.99, 368pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 10/06/2026)

Horror novel. Despearate for a hit show to save her career, exec Grace latches onto handsome “ghost hunter” Frank, but production descends into nightmarish torments.

 

Karella, Bitter: Quaint Folk (Orbit US/Run For It 978-0316581943, $19.99, 352pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Horror novel. Picture-perfect wife Jessica moves with her husband to a “quaint” island whose residents live in isolation, but discovers something is deeply wrong with the cozy rustic community. Reprint (Run For It 2025). A first novel.

 

Khaw, Cassandra: Find Me Where It Ends (Tor/Nightfire 978-1250877895, $24.99, 144pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Horror novella. Antigone welcomes the black dog, the form Death takes to visit her family, and it becomes her companion. Simultaneous with the Titan Books UK edition. Simultaneous with the Titan UK edition.

 

King, John: Machine Elves Descending (PM Press 979-8887440972, $15.00, 128pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 10/06/2026)

Collection of stories, essays, and articles, with an interview conducted by Allan Kausch. Themes of dystopia, England, and rock n’ roll. Part of PM Press’ Outspoken Authors series.

 

King, Stephen & Straub, Peter: Other Worlds Than These (Simon & Schuster/Scribner 978-1668233092, $35.00, 704pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Fantasy novel, third and final in the Talisman trilogy that also function as a standalone. Part of The Dark Tower universe. Jack Sawyer faces challenges in infected teenages in America and the Gullet at the edge of Mid-World. Simultaneous with the Hodder & Stoughton UK edition.

 

Lawrence, Mark: The Bookshop Book (Harper Voyager UK 978-0008800406, £18.99, 224pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 10/08/2026)

Fantasy novel, set in the world of the Library trilogy. “Red” Archer wanders into a bookshop and, along with Rose Penrose, becomes a tool of The Great Smith.

 

Lockhart, E.: The Pools (Penguin Random House/Delacorte 978-0593904121, $20.99, 375pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

YA Fantasy novel. In a New England town with hot springs, a terrible event should have warned people away from the water — and new girl Lexie witnesses something strange when five people go swimming.

 

Lord, Karen: Angel at the Gates (Akashic 978-1636143156, $22.95, 180pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Fantasy novel. A man tries to return a family heirloom to its land of origin, and ends up at a priory whose residents, and resident Angel, want to keep him there as war builds outside.

 

Malone, Ailbhe: Banshee (Pegasus Books 979-8897102105, $28.95, 320pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Anthology of Irish myths retold to center the female characers. Authors include Wendy Erskine, Nikita Gill, Jess Kidd, and Megan Nolan. First US edition (John Murray UK 2/26/2026).

 

Manickavel, Kuzhali: A Compendium of Supernatural Entities Found in the Government Girls Higher Secondary School (Angry Robot 978-1915998866, $19.99, 172pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Fantasy novel. A mysterious notebook is found by frustrated secondary-school student Thamarai, which describes paranormal phenomena and might even be a means of escape.

 

Moeller, Tara: Teeth (DreamPunk Press 978-1963928372, $19.66, 286pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 10/06/2026)

Horror anthology, with “jaw-clenching” stories centered on the theme of teeth — losing them, finding them, and their titular fairy.

 

Nelson, Madison Tyler: Portrait of a Haunting (Penguin Random House/Berkley 979-8217189342, $30.00, 352pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Horror novel. Tatum must rely on her hated, inherited ability to see spirits when her best friend is murdered in an eerily similar way to a murder committed by Tatum’s own mother. A first novel.

 

Newitz, Annalee: A Wall Is Also a Road (Tor 978-1250228031, $28.99, 304pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

SF novel. Gardenpath, a slime-mold-like organism who lives between stars, visits a habitable world and forms a bond with Murtis, a bipedal courtesan who works in a seaside city called “Pompeii.”

 

Roth, Veronica: The Sixth Faction (HarperCollins 978-0063462595, $21.99, 528pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Young-adult SF novel, in an alternate timeline of the Divergent universe. Beatrice Prior’s choosing ceremony is disrupted by a tragedy, setting her on a different path.

 

Schwab, Victoria: Victorious (Tor 978-1250192233, $31.99, 592pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Fantasy novel, third in the Villains series. Eli and Victor, best friends and mortal enemies, face off in a final showdown. Simultaneous with the Titan UK edition.

 

Slatter, A.G.: Fitcher’s Bird (Titan Books UK 978-1835412589, £13.99, 160pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Horror novel. As children Dido and her sisters survived a fatal house fire — now, with her sisters missing, adult Dido must find out where they are and also what happened that fateful night.

 

Smoke, Lucy: Hallowed Bones (St. Martin’s Griffin 978-1250413741, $20.00, 384pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Romantic fantasy novel, first in the Sons of Salem trilogy. Haven has been warned to stay away from the Sons of Salem, five men whose families are mired in rumors of witchcraft or worse.

 

Stirling, S.M. & Olthoff, Melissa: Rome to the Stars (Baen 978-1668073506, $28.00, 400pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 10/06/2026)

SF novel, first in the Pax Astra series. Commander Aquila Amphion, in a spacefaring Roman empire bolstered by technology from time-travelers, must confront Gra’ak, an alliance of space barbarians.

 

Torres, Nicolina: Night of the Mallrats (Harper Perennial 978-0063472976, $19.99, 384pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Horror novel. Five friends, visiting a condemned mall where they hung out as teens, unexpectedly travel back in time to 1994, the day a schoolmate disappeared.

 

Van Draanen, Wendelin: Ghosted (Holiday House 978-0823460397, $19.99, 256pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Young-adult paranormal romance novel. Gemma and Jimmy are high school sweethearts, but Jimmy is a ghost, and Gemma will soon age past him.

 

Vo, Nghi: The Scarlet Ball (Tor 978-1250904966, $28.99, 336pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Fantasy novel. Courtesan Judith Ban poses as the missing daughter of a white elite New York family, in a world of demonic marriages. Simultaneous with the Penguin Random House UK/Del Rey UK edition.

 

Wallace, Auralee: The Haunted Librarian (Ace 978-1420542912, $36.00, 368pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Cozy fantasy novel. On a rainy autumn day, Ameila discovers three quirky spirits causing paranormal havoc at her local library.

 

Williams, Tad: The Splintered Sun (Astra House/DAW 978-0756419059, $30.00, 528pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 10/06/2026)

Fantasy novel. Set in the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn universe. A fearless bandit and his band of misfit rebels navigate a kingdom menaced by dark sorcery and war, 300 years before The Dragonbone Chair.

 

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New Book Releases: Oct 6, 2026

https://bookshop.org/lists/new-releases-science-fiction-fantasy-horror-books-week-of-10-6-26

Visit our bookshop.org page to purchase this week’s new books and support your local bookstore. And us!

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Alderson, Ben & Samotin, Laura R.: The Darkness Bites Back (Angry Robot UK 978-1836730057, $19.99, 320pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/29/2026)

Fantasy romance novel. Tobias, seeking revenge against the vampire who turned him, targets the vampire’s son Alexander, only to find Alexander more principled and devoted than he thought.

 

Baldree, Travis: Tales from the Territory (Subterranean Press 978-1645243366, $48.00, 224pp, formats: hardcover, 09/30/2026)

Collection of five cozy fantasy stories (three new) set in the world of Legends & Lattes. The Subterranean edition is signed, limited to 1500 copies printed in two colors throughout, with illustrations. Macmillan publishes the audiobook, out on 10/6. Simultaneous with the Macmillan/Tor UK edition.

 

Banta, Bel: The Court of Venus (Tor 978-1250437136, $29.99, 368pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/29/2026)

Romantic fantasy novel. In a world where magicians’ powers are determined by celestial alignments, Bianca is a rare moon-blessed magician summoned to a deadly court by her onetime rival, Venus-born Roland. Simultaneous with the Macmillan/Tor UK edition.

 

Davey, Heather: The Memory Tree (Titan Books UK 978-1835414392, $18.99, 352pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/29/2026)

Horror novel. Minister’s wife Kate moves to her husband’s new parish in Hope-under-Barrow, a rural community whose strange rituals and noxious yew tree unnerve Kate.

 

 

Duhaime, Zoé: The Lost Spectacular (Kensington/Erewhon 978-1645663348e maladies are cured and people can’t die — seems to be facing an increasing number of ghosts.

 

 

Gregovic, Lydia: The False Vow (Penguin Random House/Delacorte 979-8217120680, $21.99, 528pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 09/29/2026)

Young-adult fantasy romance novel, sequel to The Weaver Bride. On the eve of her marriage to Weaver heir Noé, silkwitch Lovett sets out to take down the despotic reign of his father, and also solve a murder mystery.

 

Ireland, Liz: Mrs. Claus and the Fatal Figgy Pudding (Kensington Cozies 978-1496763013, $18.95, 272pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 09/29/2026)

Fantasy mystery novel, seventh in the Mrs. Claus series. Rehearsals for the upcoming community production of A Christmas Carol get disrupted by a foundling baby elf and the murder of the actor playing Tiny Tim. The author also writes as Elizabeth Bass and Liz Freeland.

 

Janovsky, Timothy: The Invisible Roommate (St. Martin’s Griffin 978-1250394613, $19.00, 320pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 09/29/2026)

Paranormal romance. Gerard, a famed band member fleeing the spotlight, travels to a remote town in the Chesapeake where he rooms with Emory, a scientist who’s tested out his invisibility research on himself.

 

Kingfisher, T.: Baldur’s Gate 3: Astarion (Penguin Random House/Random House Worlds 979-8217298594, $30.00, 272pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/29/2026)

Fantasy novel based on the computer game/D&D universe. Astarion, reluctant vampire, sees a chance to escape his servitude in a competition to find the blood of a dead god; he finds an ally in the handsome paladin Hahn. Copyrighted by Wizards of the Coast.

 

Langan, Sarah: Trad Wife (Simon & Schuster/Atria 978-166822965, $29.00, 320pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/29/2026)

Horror novel. Struggling journalist Jenny sets out to write a scathing expose of tradwife influencer Mia and her idyllic family farm, only to become unnerved as the farm itself gives her strange dreams. First US edition (Tor Nightfire UK 5/26).

 

Mafi, Tahereh: Escape Me (HarperCollins/Storytide 978-0063419100, $21.99, 416pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/29/2026)

YA dystopian romance novel, third in Shatter Me: Series Two. Rosabelle needs to ignore her feelings for James to convince Sebastian she’s still working against the rebels.

 

McGuire, Seanan: A Divided Duty (Tor 978-1250375278, $29.99, 384pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 09/29/2026)

Fantasy novel, 20th in the October Daye series. Toby is raising her baby with the help of Raysel, who’s been getting help and therapy while serving out a bond; once the bond ends, Raysel’s mother Luna steals her back and Toby must rescue her.

 

Miller, Sam A.: Still Lost: Tales from 2080 (Penguin Random House UK/Del Rey UK 978-0143139553, $19.00, 336pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/29/2026)

Collection of eight linked science fiction stories set on an Earth invaded by aliens. Sardonic, humorous situations include an intelligent baboon being cyberbullied and a shocking secret about grass.

 

Palahniuk, Chuck & Bailey, Michael: Silent Nightmares (Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-1668212844, $25.00, 320pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/29/2026)

Original anthology of 15 horror stories, all set in the longest nights of the year. Authors include Eugen Bacon, Cynthia Pelayo, Josh Malerman, Gabino Iglesias, Alma Katsu, and more.

 

Ravenscroft, Dorian: The White North Has Thy Bones (Bloomsbury UK/Raven N/A, $15.19, 361pp, formats: ebook, audiobook, 10/01/2026)

Historical horror novel. A London newsman seeks answers about what happened on the HMS Melpomene, a rescue ship that met disaster, amnesia, and alleged possession in the Arctic.

 

Rose-Teter, Marley: The Bone Brides (Page Street YA 979-8890035004, $22.99, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/29/2026)

YA dark fantasy novel. Nora, a human grieving her father, must enter the faerie realm at the bottom of a lake to save her girlfriend Lumi, a changeling.

 

Sanders, DaVaun: Forged in FIYAH (Tordotcom 978-1250360854, $29.99, 336pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, 09/29/2026)

Anthology of Black science fiction and fantasy commemorating ten years of FIYAH magazine. Authors include Maurice Broaddus, C.L. Clark, Suyi Davies Okungbowa, Sheree Renée Thomas, Tobi Ogundiran, and more.

 

Shinn, Sharon: Tropes (Fairwood Press 978-1958880449, $19.99, 260pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 10/01/2026)

Collection of fantasy stories and novellas, including one set in the Elemental Blessings universe. Features shapeshifters, unicorns, and a magical city.

 

Sweazy, Melissa Anderson: The Sisters of Crimson House (Sourcebooks Landmark 978-1464272356, $18.99, 416pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/29/2026)

Southern paranormal novel. Charley, the only woman in her family not to inherit psychic gifts, saves their ancestral Memphis manor by becoming a tarot-slinging fraudster, only to have her psychic sister show up.

 

Tan, Shaun: Hometown (Allen & Unwin (Australia) 978-1923627215, $9.99, 110pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 09/29/2026)

YA graphic novel. A girl with an adoptive family and a community she loves is shocked to have a creature from space arrive and say she’s more like him than her family.

 

Thorne, Jennifer: Newbourne Park (Penguin Random House/Putnam 979-8217177769, $30.00, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/29/2026)

Horror novel. Stressed-out Martha is grateful when a family friend offers her a not-quite-legal getaway at mega-mansion Newbourne, whose owner is supposed to be gone — only for the owner to return, different, at night. Simultaneous with the Titan Books UK edition.

 

Warner, Dan: Wither (Bloomsbury USA 978-1639736409, $36.99, 336pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/29/2026)

SF horror novel. A year ago, Mick went off-grid to test Regression, a black-box technology that creates a person’s perfect digital twin — after disaster, he returns to civilization, only to find everything deserted.

 

Waters, Martha: Spellstruck (Simon & Schuster/Atria 978-1668215241, $18.99, 352pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/29/2026)

Historical fantasy romance novel. In an alternate 1920s London where magic is forbidden, Vesper runs a magic speakeasy but must join forces with Max Ashbridge, a government agent.

 

Wehunt, Michael: The Nightjars (St. Martin’s 978-1250333728, $30.00, 318pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/29/2026)

Horror novel. In the middle of a date, Luke is given a photograph of himself as a child with a murdered body in the background, none of which he can remember; a new string of serial killings points towards him.

 

Wexler, Django: The Only Way Out Is Up (Orbit US 978-0316392600, $19.99, 384pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/29/2026)

Dystopian novel, first in The Sigilist series. Junkyard worker Taj is offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete in the Ascent, which could elevate him, his family, and his smart-ass robot Star to a richer level. Simultaneous with the Orbit UK edition.

 

Williams, Jen: The Dreamless (St. Martin’s/Wednesday Books 978-1250409317, $22.00, 336pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/29/2026)

Young-adult fantasy romance novel, sequel to The Sleepless. Elver, sacrificed yet again, comes back from the dead more jih than human, and Artair/Lucian must deal with their feelings for her in their shared body.

 

Yarros, Rebecca: Threshing Day (Entangled/Red Tower 978-1682818084, $24.99, 208pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/29/2026)

Collection of 13 stories featuring characters from the Empyrean fantasy romance series. Features 16 illustrations by Joe Requeza.

 

Zelkowitz, Jeff: The Mask of the Storyteller (EurekaSignal Press 979-8995521501, $19.95, 396pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 10/01/2026)

Young-adult dystopian fantasy novel. In an Arctic troubled by climate change and a bureaucratic regime, Aggie Brown and her classmate Tommy Tulugaq get entangled with an Inuit mask, a melting ice cap, and an conspiracy. A first novel.

 

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While you are here, please take a moment to support Locus with a one-time or recurring donation. We rely on reader donations to keep the magazine and site going, and would like to keep the site paywall free, but WE NEED YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT to continue quality coverage of the science fiction and fantasy field.

Visit our bookshop.org page to purchase this week’s new books and support your local bookstore. And us!

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Bellefleur, Alexandria: Damned if I Do (Penguin Random House/Berkley Romance 978-0593952528, $20.00, 352pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/22/2026)

Contemporary fantasy romance novel. Effie sold her soul to Lucifer centuries ago, and to proceed with her engagement to demon Belphagor, she has to persuade the reincarnation of her past human husband to divorce her.

 

Bhathena, Tanaz: Witch Daughter (Grand Central 978-1538780862, $29.00, 320pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/22/2026)

Fantasy novel based the epic poem Shahnameh. With her royal father in poor health, Princess Tahmineh rashly commits herself to a prophesied romance with warrior Rostam, only to discover that their fated marriage has dire consequences for him and their son.

 

Blue, Sarah: The Slayer Seduction (self-published No ISBN, $3.99, 328pp, formats: ebook, audiobook, 09/25/2026)

Fantasy romance novel, third in the Celestial Witches series. Convinced she’s a demon, Slayer courts a woman, possessing a man’s body to do so — and she’s torn between freeing the man, Adam, and her attraction to Slayer.

 

Due, Tananarive: Mazywood (Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-1668075142, $32.00, 512pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/22/2026)

Horror novel. Filmmaker Johnny brings his family to Mazywood, cabin retreat of his grandmother, famed Black actress Mazelle Washington, and discovers dark, terrifying secrets there. Simultaneous with the Titan UK edition.

 

Garber, Stephanie: The Mirror of Infinite Endings (Macmillan/Flatiron 978-1250462039, $21.99, 256pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/22/2026)

Fantasy novel, a companion to the Once Upon a Broken Heart series. A secret might reshape the story of Jacks and Evangeline in the Hollow. Features ttwenty full-page illustrations by Lotusbubble. Simultaneous with the Gollancz UK edition.

 

Golden, Christopher: Carry Me to My Grave (Titan Books UK 978-1835419472, £9.99, 336pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/22/2026)

Horror novel. Malcolm holds a vigil at the bedside of his dying mother and alleged witch, about whom local children used to chant: Maggie Wise will take your eyes. First UK edition (St. Martin’s 7/26).

 

Grace, Adalyn: The Wretched Divine (Macmillan/Feiwel and Friends 978-1250397751, $32.99, 512pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/22/2026)

Fantasy romance novel. Aurelie, a knight raised to kill demons, is torn between demon Severin and her family’s angel Yuriel as they seek a cure to turn demons back into humans. The author’s first adult novel. Simultaneous with the Gollancz UK edition.

 

Graudin, Ryan: Bright and Broken Things (Orbit US/Redhook 978-0316419185, $19.99, 384pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/22/2026)

Historical fantasy novel. World War 1 survivor Ezra, haunted with magical abilities, stumbles into a lethal high-society Order and is drawn into a high-stakes treasure-hunt race during the “Egyptomania” craze of the 1920s.

 

Hardy, MK: The Haunting of Avis Lovelock (Profile/Solaris UK 978-1837866960, £9.99, 350pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/24/2026)

Historical haunting novel. Professional debunker Avis is brought aboard to the ocean liner Excambion to prove it’s not haunted, though twin spiritualists, apparitions, and a death complicate things. The author is a pen name for Morag Hannah & Erin Hardee.

 

Hellisen, CL: The Shape of Monsters (Macmillan/Tor UK 978-1037401190, £20.00, 416pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/24/2026)

Fantasy novel. Estranged siblings Aleks and Vaira return to their family’s old gothic mansion, a locus of dark and wild magic. First UK (Orbit US 2026).

 

Helm, Deena: Our Cut of Salt (Tor/Nightfire 978-1250434661, $27.99, 288pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/22/2026)

Horror novel. Marina and her mother return to their grandmother’s home in Haifa, Palestine, but the deeper Marina reaches into their family’s history, the more she becomes affected with a mysterious illness and potential haunting.

 

Katsu, Alma: Incarnate (Penguin Random House/Putnam 979-8217177707, $21.00, 336pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 09/22/2026)

Horror novel. Dorothy, onetime influencer now working at a tech company, uses deepfake software to create the viral sensation Isabella, only for violence to break out when someone gets too close to the truth.

 

Moore, Marshall J.: The Henchperson’s Guide to Unionizing (Penguin Random House/Bantam Dell 979-8217374168, $21.00, , formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/22/2026)

Paranormal novel. Overworked henchman Igor forms a bond with fellow underlings — witch’s cat Grimalkin and vampire’s bride Cornelia — and together they decide to rise up against their servitude.

 

Mortlock, Amanda: Strange Bedfellows (Simon & Schuster/Atria/Bestler 978-1668205778, $20.00, 448pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/22/2026)

Horror novel. College student Cleo meets brooding musician Wes, though sometimes she shapeshifts into his pet cat — in fact, he’s a witch and she’s his familiar, with a dark shared history. A first novel.

 

Mostyn-Brown, Megan: The Need (Penguin Random House/Del Rey 979-8217093984, $28.00, 288pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/22/2026)

Horror novel. In a world where a hereditary condition called The Need makes some people desperate to eat human flesh, a single mother and her kids are drawn by secrets towards an affluent, fashionable cannibal family in New York.

 

O’Donnell, Tom: Lucy Kline: Necromancer (St. Martin’s/Wednesday Books 978-1250353122, $13.99, 336pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/22/2026)

Young-adult horror novel. Nancy-Drew-like detective Lucy thought she solved the grim case and presumed murder of her sister Luisa, but a girl who looks just like Louisa goes missing, and Lucy starts to suspect there’s more necromantic things going on.

 

Panatier, Chris: Worry Box (Angry Robot 978-1836730323, $19.99, 352pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/22/2026)

Horror novel. The Martin family moves into a house whose cozy attic might help their foster child, Lailah, deal with her intrusive thoughts; but these thoughts start to get more violent, to her panic.

 

Reyes, Sonido: To Our Untamed Core (HarperCollins/Versify 978-0063358447, $19.99, 432pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/22/2026)

Young-adult dystopian novel. In an alternate world where the Holy Order rules in the wake of the conquistadors, Temo, a teen trans boy living in secret, enters the battle-to-the-death game El Torneo to save his boyfriend Ollin.

 

Ridley, Erica: Insatiable (Penguin Random House/Delacorte 979-8217117413, $12.99, 352pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/22/2026)

Young-adult horror novel. Catriona receives a mysterious scholarship to an island boarding school where the girls are outnumbered and harassed by boys. After a violent attack, she develops powers and a hunger to devour predatory males.

 

Rosson, Keith: Crone (Penguin Random House/Random House 978-0593733431, $30.00, 352pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/22/2026)

Horror novel. Ex-detective, ex-addict, and grieving father Eli Lamp works as an enforcer for a drug gang, only for a murder to bring him closer to his own daughter’s disappearance ten years ago.

 

Rushby, A.: All Her Beautiful Deaths (Penguin Random House/Berkley 978-0593954676, $30.00, 464pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/22/2026)

Gothic horror novel. In 1865 London, maid Minnie discovers odd behavior in the Culpepper family’s twins, including glassplate photography of a dead woman. In the present, artist Hadley finds herself involved with the centuries-old photographs…and the Culpepper estate trying bury them. Author also writes as Allison Rushby and A.J. Rushby.

 

Shepherd, Ben: Blood Drunk (Macmillan/Tor UK 978-1035083831, £20.00, 416pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/24/2026)

Urban fantasy novel. After a failed hit for his gangster uncle, Freddie stumbles into an underworld of vampires and monsters, where he’s aided by his ability to draw magical strength from deaths.

 

Smith, Bryan: Monstrous (Flame Tree Press UK 978-1787589940, $26.95, 256pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 09/22/2026)

Cosmic horror novel. An aspiring serial killer, his intended first victim, and a woman with a dark secret are on a remote mountain, where they’re transported to a surreal, endless field with a seemingly abandoned skyscraper that they must enter.

 

Smyth, Courtney: The Undetectables: The Unfathomable Curse (Titan Books UK 978-1835412213, $18.99, 496pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/22/2026)

Fantasy mystery novel, third in The Undetectables series. Broadwick heiress Cornelia finds herself estranged from her family, only for a new serial killer — the Wickermere Reaper — to snatch her twin sisters and force her back into contact with her relatives. An international edition with US and UK prices.

 

South, Carrie Lee: In the Woods They Wait (Little, Brown/Mulholland Books 978-0316608985, $29.00, 304pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/22/2026)

Horror novel. Park ranger Audrey Figg investigates the disappearance of a child in Devil’s Den, a park in the Ozarks, eerily similar to her little brother’s case there fifteen years before. A first novel.

 

Strahan, Jonathan: Revolution in the Heart (Titan Books UK 978-1835412749, £22.00, 496pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 09/22/2026)

Original anthology of 15 new stories inspired by the work of Ursula K. Le Guin. Authors include Karen Joy Fowler, AI Jiang, Ann Leckie, Darcie Little Badger, Kelly Link, Premee Mohamed and E. Lily Yu.

 

Watts, Peter: Fold Catastrophes (Tachyon Publications 978-1616964672, $18.95, 352pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 09/22/2026)

Collection of 11 science fiction stories about future technology: a weaponized water supply that reprograms the brain, an accidental hive mind, a ship trying to pass through a sun by shielding itself with an ice planet, and more. Introduction by Richard K. Morgan.

 

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While you are here, please take a moment to support Locus with a one-time or recurring donation. We rely on reader donations to keep the magazine and site going, and would like to keep the site paywall free, but WE NEED YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT to continue quality coverage of the science fiction and fantasy field.

The post New Book Releases: Sep 22, 2026 appeared first on Locus.

Visit our bookshop.org page to purchase this week’s new books and support your local bookstore. And us!

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Astic, Guy & Lafond, Frank: The Art and Craft of Stephen King (Hachette/Black Dog & Leventhal 979-8894141954, SF novel, final book in the House of Atreus series set in a world where the ancient Greek gods were actually corrupted ancient artificial intelligences. Ore, 505pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 09/15/2026)

Non-fiction reference guide to King’s life and works, which examines every novel, novella, and short story. Includes over 300 photos.

 

Bardugo, Leigh: Dead Beat (Macmillan/Flatiron 978-1250884312, $29.99, 496pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, 09/15/2026)

Dark fantasy/horror novel, third in the Ninth House series. After leaving hell, Alex Stern and her group must hunt down the demons that followed her, while Alex tries to get a degree at Yale. Simultaneous with the Orion UK edition.

 

Bayron, Kalynn: Tell the Ghosts I’m Gone (Bloomsbury USA 978-1547615896, $21.00, 336pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/01/2026)

Young-adult fantasy novel. Moll and her friends each have a supernatural power; Moll can manipulate people’s emotions and is ready to gain firsthand experience, but that may have unintended consequences.

 

Coxon, Dan & Fracassi, Philip: Unearthed (Titan Books UK 978-1835413098, $19.99, 416pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 09/15/2026)

Original anthology of 19 original horror stories. Authors include Tananarive Due, Christopher Golden, Josh Malerman, Tim Lebbon, Eric LaRocca. A.M. Shine, Jonathan Maberry, Hildur Knútsdóttir, Ai Jiang, A. G. Slatter, and more.

 

Creedle, Laura: The Girl in Green (HarperCollins 978-0063359185, $19.99, 400pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/15/2026)

Young-adult horror novel. Jess moves to a new school in the West Virginian mountains, and tries to find answers when a student goes missing.

 

Datlow, Ellen: All Hallows Eve (Titan Books UK 978-1835415436, $29.99, 336pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 09/15/2026)

Original anthology of 19 horror stories offering new takes on Halloween around the globe. Introduction by Ellen Datlow; foreword by Lisa Morton. Authors include Linda D. Addison, Chikodili Emelumadu, and many more.

 

Gill, Nikita: Styx: The River (Little, Brown 978-0316613347, $21.99, 534pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/15/2026)

Young-adult fantasy novel in poetry and vignettes, second in the Goddesses of the Underworld series reimagining Greek myth. Styx is the firstborn of the Titans, and was respected until she was overshadowed by her siblings. She finds comfort in training training the art of magic and creation. Simultaneous with the Simon & Schuster UK edition.

 

Goodman, A.B.: House of Atreus: Trial & Consequences (Planetary Books 979-8233643101, $4.99, 198pp, formats: ebook, 09/15/2026)

SF novel, fourth in a series set in a world where the ancient Greek gods were actually corrupted ancient artificial intelligences. Orestes is on trial for the murder of his mother, and Athena calls twelve mortals to judge the trial.

 

Goût, Leopoldo: Rooted (Tor/Nightfire 978-1250781529, $28.46, 288pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/15/2026)

Horror novel. Aurora, an art major, returns to Mexico City to celebrate a major accomplishment, but reality stops working like normal.

 

Kraven, T.C.: Blood & Bedlam (Diversion Books 979-8895150733, $28.49, 329pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 09/15/2026)

Vampire romance novel. Vlad Dracul, the original vampyr, hopes to reignite his love with Reine, a bartender with a very old soul, even if it starts war.

 

Kuliasha, Jasmine: Bigfoot Confidential (Orbit Works 978-0316587358, $19.99, 332pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/15/2026)

Fantasy novel. Jericho James has been working on a case involving (big, strong, and sexy) bigfoot sightings, but she has a strong feeling that she’s being watched.

 

Lee, Laura Piper: Doomsdate (Penguin Random House/Dell 979-8217095612, $20.00, 416pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/15/2026)

Zombie apocalypse romance novel. As the threat of a lockdown grows larger Maisie Bennett has one goal: to get laid. But on her first date with melancholy Dr. Everett Greer, people begin to turn into flesh-eating zombies.

 

Marske, Freya: Bodies of Magic (Tor 978-1250341655, $28.99, 464pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/15/2026)

Dark academia fantasy novel. A group of mages with the gift of healing magic are about to begin their final exam when they stumble upon a dead body. Simultaneous with the Tor Bramble UK edition.

 

Mathewson, Hannah: The Age of Blood and Magic (HarperCollins/Morrow 978-0063456280, $30.00, 432pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/15/2026)

Fantasy novel. Magic used to only belong to the witches, fae, and vampires, but a hundred years ago, Martin Maddock stole it, and built trilion-dollar company on selling bottled magic. Simultaneous with the Harper Voyager UK edition.

 

Mbengei, Peace: We Run the Night (Soho Teen 978-1641297509, $19.99, 336pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/15/2026)

Horror novel. Shani returns to her isolated boarding school following her father’s death, but students begin experiencing strange skin conditions, and a popular student suddenly goes missing. A first novel.

 

McGrath, Paul: A Hard Left (Stoney Creek 978-1965766811, $21.95, 270pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 09/15/2026)

Satirical SF novel, third in the Terran Incognita series. The FBI investigates a case of a person waking up in a different body, and two aliens known as Xylodonian Guardians try to keep the world together.

 

Merriam, Joanne: Aether and Ego (Inanna 978-1834210261, $24.95, 240pp, formats: paperback, 09/15/2026)

SF novel, a retelling of Pride & Prejudice. Elizabeth Bennett is the second generation of people on a long journey to Alpha Centauri. When her younger sister Lydia elopes, she must work with the insufferable Mr. Darcy to save her reputation. A first novel.

 

Miéville, China: The Rouse (Penguin Random House/Del Rey 978-0399181092, $40.00, 1260pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/15/2026)

Uncanny novel wuth horror elements. Maur’s entire life has been filled with loss, and the answer seems to lie within the dark past of a soldier who shares the same interests and motivations as her. Simultaneous with the Macmillan UK edition.

 

Morgan, Louisa: The Faerie Handmaid (Orbit US/Redhook 978-0316585170, $19.99, 432pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/15/2026)

Fantasy novel. Braithe becomes the handmaid to a powerful priestess named Morgana, and must travel with her to the white city to investigate a cursed king.

 

O’Regan, Marie & Kane, Paul: The Hopeless Romantic’s Guide to Enchantment (Titan Books UK 978-1835415337, $29.99, 352pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 09/15/2026)

Anthology of 12 stories of fantasy and romance. Authors include Kelley Armstrong, Rebecca Thorne, Alexis Hall, L. R. Lam, A.Y. Chao, and more.

 

Patrick, Auden: Thoughts Be Bloody (Astra House/DAW 978-0756420475, $20.00, 368pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/15/2026)

Fantasy novel, a retelling of Hamlet. At a magical college, Horatio stumbles upon his fellow student Carson Hamlett cradling his father’s dead body in the library.

 

Piper, Hailey: This Movie Doesn’t End the Way We Want (Titan Books UK 978-1835411483, $18.99, 320pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/15/2026)

Horror novel. In 1994, Val watched an obscure horror movie in theaters with her sister and friend, and was the only one ever seen again.

 

Ralph, Vincent: Corpse Creek (St. Martin’s/Wednesday Books 978-1250372185, $15.00, 256pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/15/2026)

Young-adult horror novel, third in the Bleak Haven series. Teen Ethan returns to the cursed creek where his brother died years ago, only to find a figure that looks eerily like his brother demanding a sacrifice.

 

Ralph, Vincent: Fear Farm (St. Martin’s/Wednesday Books 978-1250372161, $14.00, 240pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 09/15/2026)

Young-adult horror novel, fourth in the Bleak Haven series. Tori goes undercover at the Fear Farm Fright-Fest, Bleak Haven’s suspicious annual event where odd accidents happen.

 

Reid, Ava: Winterveil (HarperCollins 978-0063462281, $21.99, 448pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/15/2026)

Young-adult SF novel. At Winterveil, where criminal students are trained to play war simulations, four students are drawn together into a conspiracy.

 

Schaefer, Saratoga: A Thousand Monstrous Forms (The Quick Brown Fox/Crooked Lane 979-8892427401, $29.99, 326pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/15/2026)

Horror novel, a Bluebeard retelling. Impulsive artist Poppy Reed marries wealthy art dealer Celia Marie Fox, but finds herself drawn towards a forbidden, locked basement.

 

Schuyler, Nina: Open the Floodgates (Chin Music Press/Reverberations 978-1634051040, $24.95, 224pp, formats: hardcover, 09/15/2026)

Environmental fable. In a California town, a River is granted personhood, where it argues in court for its existence against powerful enemies who want to keep filling it with toxic waste.

 

Steven, L.K.: Turncloak (Penguin Random House/Del Rey 978-0593974025, $32.99, 544pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/15/2026)

Fantasy romance novel, second in the Silvercloak Saga. The new kingpin of the Bloodmoon Gang has discovered Saffron is a Silvercloak, and a detective follows them both while Saffron tries to fix her mistakes. Simultaneous with the Del Rey UK edition.

 

Thomas, Sheree Renée: The Tongue I Dream In (PM Press 979-8887441955, $16.00, 160pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 09/15/2026)

Book of poems, stories, essays, and an interview, part of the Outspoken Authors series. Thomas discusses the intersections of poetry, science fiction, and myth across Black and white cultures.

 

Valldeperas, R.J.: Daughter of the Dark (Tor/Bramble 978-1250427953, $29.17, 336pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/15/2026)

Dark fantasy novel, first in the Daughters of Auquis series. In Supay, people are cursed to be resurrected as muki, and Solana is offered the position of Royal Demon Hunter.

 

Waring, Wendy: The Hunger of Those Who Built It (Stelliform Press 978-1998466054, $22.99, 415pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 09/17/2026)

Solarpunk novel. In 2049 Paris devastated by ecological collapse, people fight to save seeds and retain their bonds with one another. A first novel.

 

Williams, LaDarrion: Ashes at the Altar (Penguin Random House/Labyrinth Road 978-0593712009, $20.99, 528pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/15/2026)

Young-adult fantasy novel, third in the Blood at the Root trilogy. Malik continues at secret magical HBCU Caiman academy, and fights the demonic entity Marinette and contends with his father’s family, the Bonclairs.

 

Zinnikas, Emily: I Am the Monster Under the Bed (St. Martin’s 978-1250454782, $29.00, 320pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/15/2026)

Horror novel. Reclusive painter Willa is outed as the only survivor of a massacre during her time in high school, and tries to remember not just that night but the benevolent creature under her bed. A first novel. A first novel.

 

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While you are here, please take a moment to support Locus with a one-time or recurring donation. We rely on reader donations to keep the magazine and site going, and would like to keep the site paywall free, but WE NEED YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT to continue quality coverage of the science fiction and fantasy field.

The post New Book Releases: Sep 15, 2026 appeared first on Locus.

Visit our bookshop.org page to purchase this week’s new books and support your local bookstore. And us!

 

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Ancrum, K.: Adam, Mine. (HarperCollins 978-0063449022, $19.99, 380pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/08/2026)

Young-adult reimagining of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Victor Frankenstein brings a dying teen boy named Elias Hilfiker back to life because he wants to prove he can change the world, but they become tethered and feel each other’s pain.

 

 

Assi, Seraj: Rubble (PM Press 979-8887441948, $16.00, 160pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 09/08/2026)

Near-future magical realism novel. A man trapped beneath rubble as a genocide occurs above him begins experiencing vivid hallucinations of what’s happening, and the line between fantasy and reality gets blurred.

 

 

Aveyard, Victoria: Tempest (Harper Voyager US 978-0063572027, $36.00, 768pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/08/2026)

Fantasy pirate novel, the first book in the Lyrian Sea duology. Cat Rose lives two lives. The first, as a Lady who’s tied to a lord of the Meridian empire, and the second, as the queen of a pirate tavern located in the Lyrian Sea. Simultaneous with the Orion UK edition.

 

 

Azad, Nafiza & Khanani, Intisar: A Thousand Nights (Candlewick Press 978-1536241549, $19.99, 496pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 09/08/2026)

Young-adult original anthology with a frame story about refugees telling each other fantastical stories as they travel and search for safety. Authors include: Hanna Alkaf, Sara Sharaf Beg, Loretta Chefchaouni, Heba Helmy, Zeyneb Holdridge and more.

 

 

Boey, Meihan: The Enigmatic Madam Ingram (Harper Perennial 978-0063508941, $19.99, 512pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/08/2026)

Historical fantasy novel drawing on Asian folklore, the second book in the Miss Cassidy series. Letty Ingram receives help from Leda Cassidy in lifting a curse that causes her to lose consciousness and awake in different places.

 

 

Chidley, Elise: The Raven, the Wolf, and the Rose (Catalyst Press/Flare Books 978-1963511642, $19.95, 422pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 09/08/2026)

Young-adult fantasy novel, the first in the Deepwood trilogy. Willow McBane is recruited by Raff Dunaid, the heir of Emberlyn, to protect The Deepwood, the last place where magic from another world seeps into ours.

 

 

Cole, Kamilah: Wicked Endeavors (Little, Brown 978-0316613361, $21.99, 434pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/08/2026)

Young-adult fantasy novel. Caya is seeking revenge against the three witch Houses that stole power from the Coventry’s royal family when she was a kid. She plans to sneak in under the alias of “Marisol” and kill prince Tomás Castellan.

 

 

Flynn, Avery: Hexy Beast (Penguin Random House/Berkley Romance 978-0593956243, $20.00, 352pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/08/2026)

Fantasy romantic comedy novel, third in the Sherwood Witches series. Effie Sherwood accidentally becomes entangled with a werewolf named Darius Aetos, and they quickly try to find a way out, but over time, they start hoping they can stay together.

 

 

Ford, R.S.: Absolon Creed (Orbit US 978-0316595797, $19.99, 352pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/08/2026)

Fantasy novel. As the city of Bastion is falling to eldritch creatures, the Order of Draken is the only thing attempting to keep it together, but when suspicions arise about a traitor, Absolon Creed is told to investigate with Guenivar Blackmere.

 

 

Griffin, Sarah Maria: Strange Is the Light (Tor 978-1250910882, $28.99, 400pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/08/2026)

Fantasy novel. After twenty years, a group of childhood friends accidentally open a rift to an alternate dimension after playing a strange RPG version of their favorite childhood game, and Daphne is forced to repay a debt. Simultaneous with the Titan Books UK edition.

 

 

Hardinge, Frances: Traitors’ Nest (Abrams/Amulet 978-1419794148, $19.99, 400pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/01/2026)

Young-adult fantasy novel. Above the Kingdom of Thaletal a game is played where castles are moved around like chess pieces. When a mysterious new castle shows up, Burr decides he’s had enough and begins to stage a coup. Simultaneous with the First Ink UK edition.

 

 

Harrison, Rachel: Kiss Slay Replay (Penguin Random House/Berkley 979-8217188574, $30.00, 336pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/08/2026)

Time-loop horror novel. Willa wakes up on the morning of her best friend’s wedding after suffering from a nightmare where she was murdered, but as the events of the wedding begin to feel awfully familiar, she realizes it wasn’t a nightmare at all. Simultaneous with the Titan Books UK edition.

 

 

Jiang, Ai: An Empire in the Clouds (Titan Books UK 978-1835414941, $26.99, 384pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/08/2026)

Science fantasy novel inspired by Chinese history. After her parents murder, Princess Xīlián of Piāo stumbles upon a plot to kill her brother, the emperor, so she flees to find her other brother Làng to save the emperor.

 

 

Konate, Moussa & Pickford, Susan: Headless in Kita (Dedalus UK 978-1918467055, £11.99, 192pp, formats: paperback, 09/11/2026)

Fantasy novel. Someone in Kita is killing the street beggars, and when a glowing figure appears on the hills above the town, people begin to think dark forces are involved. Captain Dembélé begins to investigate the killings.

 

 

Liu, Ken: The Passing of the Dragon and Other Stories (Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-1668208342, $29.00, 384pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/08/2026)

Collection of science fiction stories. Includes stories about a painter who feels like she’s failing as an artist, and many other tales. Simultaneous with the Ad Astra UK edition.

 

 

Malerman, Josh: Pictures of You (Penguin Random House/Del Rey 978-0593723159, $28.00, 288pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/08/2026)

Horror novel. Emily wakes up alone in a bed she has no memory of ever sleeping in, and a mysterious woman tells her to stay in bed. She sees a canvas on the wall with no frame, and the woman is acting like Emily is the painting. Simultaneous with the Tor Nightfire UK edition.

 

 

McCauley, Susan: The Raven (Celtic Sea 978-1951069315, $15.99, 218pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/28/2026)

Gothic horror novel set in 1665 England. Martin Blake is already struggling to protect his family as a plague ravages London, so when his wife’s uncle brings orphaned children into their house, his life starts to fall apart.

 

 

Mohamed, Premee: Wickhills (Tor 978-1250378415, $29.17, 320pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, 09/08/2026)

Fantasy spy thriller novel. Vycol Ferec must find a defecting scientist who may be carrying a magical weapon that could cause the apocalypse. Ferec and his team need to travel underground to find him and protect the magic weapon.

 

 

Nix, Garth: Massif (Harper Voyager US 978-0063292017, $30.00, 352pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/08/2026)

Standalone SF space opera novel. For centuries humans have been riding on sentient, space-travelling mountain ranges known as Massifs, but people always wonder what’s in it for the Massif’s, and Parnell decides to look for answers

 

 

Quinn, Bonnie: How to Survive Camping: The Ancient Things (Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-1668096673, $19.00, 320pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/08/2026)

Cozy horror novel, the third in the series. Each year, Kate sends out a pamphlet on how to survive encounters with the campground’s other entities, but as the land turns ancient, the creatures begin hunting her too, so she starts hunting them back.

 

 

Smith, Nicholas Sansbury: Burning Skies (Blackstone Publishing 979-8228499133, $29.99, 400pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/08/2026)

Post-apocalyptic SF novel, a second in a Hell Divers prequel series set more than two centuries before the Hell Divers series. Cecil Pepper and his wife desperately search for a bunker that might protect them from the fires raining from the sky.

 

 

Sterling, Isabel: With All My Haunted Heart (Penguin Random House/Berkley Romance 978-0593956649, $20.00, 384pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/08/2026)

Paranormal romance novel. Pippa Ainsley doesn’t think twice about helping her friend by doing inspections for his bed-and-breakfast for ghosts, until his extremely attractive co-owner, Elle Thompson, says that she wants their B&B to be haunted.

 

 

Wallin, Nick: The Quiet Resurrection of Sister Evelida Livingston (Rising Action 978-1998672264, $17.99, 432pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 09/08/2026)

Horror novel of witchcraft. Cinnamon Carmichael doesn’t remember anything about the killings until she sees the blood on her hands and the smile on her best friend’s face, and she realizes something horrible is feeding off them to grow.

 

 

West, S.B.: Morfran, Dark Lord Reformed (Ace 979-8217191093, $30.00, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/08/2026)

Cozy fantasy novel. Morfran is done being the dark lord, so he runs away to the hills with hopes of living as a goat farmer, but when his soldiers follow him with the intent to behead him, he flees to a tiny forest where he won’t be recognized. A first novel.

 

 

Woo, Ashley: Wildwood (Harper Perennial 978-0063434578, $19.99, 352pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/08/2026)

Gothic mystery/horror novel. Right as Elinor loses her job, she inherits her family’s estate. But after moving in, she begins to feel more isolated, and starts having nightmares that feel like memories of something that happened long ago. A first novel.

 

 

Wood, Lucy Jane: Disenchanted (Ace 979-8217195312, $20.00, 400pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/08/2026)

Cozy fantasy novel. Sage Hemlock distrusts magic, so she’s instead devoted herself to her work and studies, but when a strange book releases a curse, her town is overrun with magic, and she must confront the one thing she keeps avoiding. Simultaneous with the Macmillan UK edition.

 

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While you are here, please take a moment to support Locus with a one-time or recurring donation. We rely on reader donations to keep the magazine and site going, and would like to keep the site paywall free, but WE NEED YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT to continue quality coverage of the science fiction and fantasy field.

The post New Book Releases: Sep 8, 2026 appeared first on Locus.

Visit our bookshop.org page to purchase this week’s new books and support your local bookstore. And us!

 

---

 

Aguirre, Ann: The Hocus Pocus Handbook (Sourcebooks Casablanca 978-1464224119, $18.99, 352pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/01/2026)

SF romantic comedy novel. Thea, a changeling, was stolen from the mortal world and now lives in the wildlands. Now she has to hunt down Devan J. Fenelon, but she has to work with a difficult hunter known as Winter’s Hound.

 

 

Agyemang, Elizabeth: Divine Oaths (Little, Brown/Requited 978-0316613378, $25.99, 574pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/01/2026)

Fantasy romance. Sianna Adu was about to attend an elite school in Virginia’s swampland, but her entire life changes in one day after her family dies and she gains the power to see people’s pasts and futures.

 

 

Bacon, Eugen: Crimson in Quietus (Meerkat Press 978-1965740071, $20.95, 300pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 09/01/2026)

Fantasy novel set in the Afrocentric Sauútiverse, where sound is a tangible force. Muso’mi is an expert in consuming sound, and researches silence so she can master theft, but when her friend disappears, her goals change.

 

 

Bastianelli, Gregory: Thorns (Flame Tree Press UK 978-1787589971, $34.95, 240pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 09/01/2026)

Horror novel. Dr. Monica studies a deadly virus that causes thorns to sprout from the body, but when she’s infected with it, she must travel across the plagued world where her trust in humanity is tested.

 

 

Bennett, Ashley: Mantras & Minotaurs (Penguin Random House/Berkley Romance 978-0593957011, $20.00, 304pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 09/01/2026)

Fantasy romance novel, third in the Leviathan Fitness series. After Pam Rollin’s kids move out, she decides to start yoga, and download a dating app, which is where she starts a long distance relationship with a minotaur.

 

 

Brown, Stacey Marie: White Raven (Blackstone Publishing 979-8228474635, $32.99, 360pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/01/2026)

Romantic fantasy novel, the first in the Messengers of the Realm series. Set in a world where the land is divided into Day, Night, and Dusk. The king’s daughter was kidnapped, and is being brought to the night king.

 

 

Gillig, Rachel: The Knave and the Moon (Orbit US 978-0316601849, $30.00, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/01/2026)

Gothic fantasy romance novel, the second in the Stonewater Kingdom trilogy. Benji creates a tournament as a way to strengthen his power over Traum, but then an unknown knave begins to excel in the tournament. Simultaneous with the Orbit UK edition.

 

 

Hawkins, Scott: Blacktail (Penguin Random House/Crown 979-8217089963, $29.00, 288pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/01/2026)

Dark fantasy novel. Blacktail, a wolf, is loyal to the Forest God, but when his mate, a house dog, is killed, he goes into the house of the owners to take revenge, which is when he receives an offer from a feline witch. Simultaneous with the Macmillan edition.

 

 

Islington, James: Scion (Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-1668239247, $28.00, 240pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/01/2026)

Cyberpunk thriller novel, first in a series. Azure is really good at his job of killing the ultra wealthy as a deterrent for them to stop hoarding all of the limited resources. But he’s recruited for a new job that’s the complete opposite of what he normally does. Simultaneous with the Orion UK/ edition.

 

 

Kelleher, Julie Salmon: The Sea-Glass Shore (Forest Avenue Press 978-0988265790, $17.99, 342pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 09/01/2026)

Contemporary fantasy novel mixing Native American and European lore. Even though Jack knows that all Selkie stories end with the woman finding her stolen skin and leaving, he’s still determined to make it work with Rona. A first novel.

 

 

Krause, Autumn: The Gods Will Sing Our Song (Penguin Random House/Delacorte 979-8217027668, $20.99, 432pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/01/2026)

Young-adult fantasy romance novel. Ren Hamada, and Violet Aratani don’t have much in common besides that they’re the only ones who can free a god whose mortal form is tied to the same internment camps they’re locked inside of.

 

 

Livino, Isabela: An Immaculate Deception (Penguin Random House/Dutton 979-8217048373, $29.49, 304pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/01/2026)

Gothic horror novel set in 1870s Brazil. When Madalena is about to tell Leandro about their baby that’s on the way, a storm comes and knocks her out. She wakes up in his home, but something’s different about him, he’s obsessed, and always watching. A first novel. Simultaneous with the Orion UK edition.

 

 

Martinez, A. Lee: Unbearable (Baen 978-1668073452, $28.00, 208pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 09/01/2026)

Fantasy novel. Ortiz is an ambitionless man until the day he discovers a magic sword that keeps away the all-devouring dragon. He decides to keep it because he can’t trust anyone else to wield it, and besides, it’ll give him a more meaningful life.

 

 

McNeil, Gretchen: We Are for the Dark (Astra House/DAW 978-0756400255, $54.48, 352pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/01/2026)

Horror novel. After a priest goes missing on an island in Newfoundland, Miriam and Ryan travel to the island to find out more. Upon arrival, they discover something wrong with the island, and despite not trusting each other, they work together.

 

 

Reed, MacKenzie: I Hope This Email Finds You in Hell (Penguin Random House/Berkley 978-0593957097, $20.00, 352pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 09/01/2026)

Fantasy romance novel. After the death of her parents, Brie has been working as a receptionist, but when she catches her boss, Luke, performing an exorcism, she joins him on a rescue mission of one of their coworkers.

 

 

Ringo, John & Rinehart, Gray: Troy Rising (Baen 978-1668073445, $28.00, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 09/01/2026)

Original anthology of new stories of espionage, cleverness, humor, and much more. Authors include Adam Oyebanji, Mike Massa, Marisa Wolf, Michael Mersault, Casey Moores, Michael Gants, Karl K. Gallagher, Chris Kennedy, and Jason Cordova & Melissa Olthoff.

 

 

Sanderson, Brandon & Patterson, Janci: Blightfall (Penguin Random House/Delacorte 978-0593707050, $22.99, 496pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/01/2026)

Young-adult SF novel. The defiant defense force finally earned freedom from the alien oppressors, but a lot of work still needs to be done. Arturo Mendez, and his team must travel to Blightfall in order to rescue other human settlements. Simultaneous with the Orion UK edition.

 

 

Tchaikovsky, Adrian: Engines of Reason (Tordotcom 978-1250388292, $26.99, 192pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 09/01/2026)

SF novella, second in the Elder Race series. In a world where science and magic are just points of view, a fallen princess, a reluctant wizard, and a precocious child need to decipher the past in order to create a better future.

 

 

Thompson, Mary G.: Precious Children (Tachyon Publications 978-1616964658, $16.95, 224pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 09/01/2026)

SF horror novel. The Blake family has thousands of clones of their children that live with other families, so that they can be replaced if the Blake’s lose one of their children. When Geoff gets replaced for the third time, something goes wrong.

 

Vedder, Leslie: The Siren’s Kiss (Abrams/Amulet 978-1419788314, $19.99, 320pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/01/2026)

YA fantasy romance novel. Rayleigh and Maren are both looking to find the sea witch, and when they run into each other, sparks begin to fly, and their plans fall apart, so now they need to team up in order to succeed.

 

 

Weitze, Torsten & Markkinen, Erika: The Tower of Beggars (Absurd Ventures 979-8994931622, $28.99, 400pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/01/2026)

Fantasy novel, the first in the Stormfell Academy series. After a tragedy, Niri is left alone, and her only possession is a coin that allows admission to the Stormfall Academy. She’ll need to adapt if she wants to make it through.

 

 

Winans, Justine Pucella: Your Boyfriend Needs an Exorcist (Bloomsbury USA 978-1547618811, $20.99, 304pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 09/01/2026)

YA horror novel. After Schuyler, a spirit, accidentally possesses the boyfriend of her crush, she must pretend to be him until his spirit is found, but she realizes she’s much more comfortable in his body than she was in her own.

 

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While you are here, please take a moment to support Locus with a one-time or recurring donation. We rely on reader donations to keep the magazine and site going, and would like to keep the site paywall free, but WE NEED YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT to continue quality coverage of the science fiction and fantasy field.

The post New Book Releases: Sep 1, 2026 appeared first on Locus.

Visit our bookshop.org page to purchase this week’s new books and support your local bookstore. And us!

 

---

 

Arnott, Jake: Netherwood (Titan Books UK 978-1835416594, £18.99, 256pp, formats: hardcover, 08/25/2026)

Horror novel. After moving to the town of Hastings, Justine and Adam find a witch bottle that’s said to be connected to a band that experimented with blood magic, and occult forces. When Adam opens the bottle, strange things start happening in Hastings.

 

 

Binx, Stephanie: Hellbound (The Quick Brown Fox/Alcove 979-8892426541, $19.99, 349pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, 08/25/2026)

Dark romantasy novel. Marian Meyer lives in a world where demons roam the earth and offer people money to take artifacts from hell. After one of her visits to hell, she comes back with memories of that night missing, and she’ll do anything to get them back. A first novel.

 

 

Blanchet, Trisha: Murder Like Magic (The Quick Brown Fox/Crooked Lane 979-8892427470, $29.99, 336pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/25/2026)

Urban fantasy mystery novel. Tess Tulley is the owner of a private investigation business, and she has a rocky history with other Spinners, so she hesitates to take a case involving a dead Spinner whose true cause of death is a complete mystery, but she chooses to anyway. A first novel.

 

 

Brooks, Terry: Brona (Penguin Random House/Del Rey 978-0593129838, $28.00, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/25/2026)

Fantasy novel, the second book in The First Druids of Shanna series. Abronja, the son of Nirianne and Galaphile Joss, finds the peacefulness across the four lands boring, but when excitement comes, it’s in the form of an evil sorcerer that’s more powerful than ever.

 

 

Carson, Rae: Monster, Monarch, Maiden (HarperCollins/Greenwillow 978-0063244207, $19.99, 480pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/25/2026)

Young-adult romantic fantasy novel. Bria is one of the only survivors of a raid on her mountain town. When she’s captured she doubts she’ll survive, but is rescued by a man named Titus, who chose to complete a quest involving Bria.

 

 

Cathrall, Sylvie: The Art of Charming a Changeling (Orbit US 978-0316586139, $19.99, 352pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/25/2026)

Fantasy romance novel in the Pigments and Paramours trilogy. Florrie Hyverfell discovers a fairy named Vern living in a painting on her first day working for the prince’s galleries. Even worse, the painting is fake, so together they go on a journey to find the real one. Simultaneous with the Orbit UK edition.

 

 

Coles, Donyae: The Sunken, the Adored (HarperCollins/Amistad 978-0063458628, $19.99, 352pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/25/2026)

Historical eldritch horror novel set in Venice. Mercy goes from being enslaved, to working as a photographer, and living with the Contessa family where she forms deep bonds and friendships. But something is lurking through the city, and threatens to destroy her new life.

 

 

de la Chevotière, Robert: The Twelfth House (Kensington/Erewhon 978-1645662037, $26.95, 288pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/25/2026)

Magical realism historical novel rooted in West African mythology. Bako escapes to the mountains to save himself and his unborn child, Etta, from enslavement. Here he meets Mary, who agrees to birth Etta into the world, but the child has scars from her previous spiritual deaths.

 

 

Delaney, Jennifer: Tales of a Treacherous Fate (Orion UK/Gollancz 979-8895151556, $19.99, 542pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/27/2026)

Fantasy novel, third In The Tales trilogy. War is about to begin as demons are terrorizing the earth, so Kat and Emrys ask the Old Gods for help. Fey are fleeing to the north to awaken the ancient power that’s beyond the mountains.

 

 

Edge, Clare: Natural Selection (Penguin Random House/Delacorte 979-8217117451, $19.99, 352pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/25/2026)

Young-adult contemporary fantasy novel. Megan Lawless, Megan Deloria, and Meghan Bach can’t stand Kevin Johnson, and they decide to teach the town a lesson about grizzly bears , which is Kevin’s biggest fear.

 

 

Frampton, Megan: Demons and Diplomacy (Penguin Random House/Berkley Romance 979-8217189663, $20.00, 352pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/25/2026)

Victorian fantasy romance novel, first in the Ministry of Supernatural Affairs series. Cora Hastings has the job of keeping peace between humans and supernatural creatures after they all emerged from hiding. This job is fairly easy until the devil decides to leave hell.

 

 

Hati, S.: The Carousel of Forgotten Places (Angry Robot UK 978-1836730392, $19.99, 288pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/25/2026)

Fantasy novel. Ryka, an immortal timekeeper, runs a fair at the edge of time with the other spirits that live there. But when the carousel at the center starts to experience time rot, a human shows up, so Ryka and her boss need to get them home while the fair falls apart.

 

 

Hillis, Kat & Thor, Rosiee: Summer Coven (Penguin Random House/Berkley 978-0593952733, $20.00, 336pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/25/2026)

Cozy fantasy mystery novel, second in the A Dead & Breakfast Mystery series. Arthur Miller (No connection to the playwright) is a private detective, living with his wife Salvatore in Trident Falls, and when a psychic dies from a poison potion, he looks into her background to find the answers.

 

 

Kane, Paul & O’Regan, Marie: Best Served Cold (Flame Tree Collections UK 978-1835626009, $26.99, 416pp, formats: hardcover, 08/25/2026)

Anthology of chilling stories about crime and revenge from authors including Amanda Brittany, Joanie Brittingham, John Connolly, Helen Cooper, Terry Edge, Marcus Field, Helen Fields and more. Part of the Beyond and Within series.

 

 

Kerr, Katharine: Zyon (Arc Manor/Caezik SF & Fantasy 978-1647101992, $19.99, 280pp, formats: paperback, 08/25/2026)

SF novel. The inhabitants of Zyon exiled a group of religious fanatics to the neighboring planet, Ninva. Over a hundred years later, those exiled enact revenge and take over Zyon, leaving one sole survivor, Andra Godluv, who turns to the planet Thorn to get help.

 

 

Kingfisher, T.: Daggerbound (Tor/Bramble 978-1250400086, $29.99, 448pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/25/2026)

Fantasy romance novel. Edmund is a scholar who transports objects from one temple to another, but one day he’s attacked by bandits, and reaches for a sword to fight back, but this sword releases Dervish, an immortal warrior, and after saving Edmund, they start to fall for each other.

 

 

Mochizuki, Mai & Taylor, Jordan: Dreamers of the Full Moon Coffee Shop (Penguin Random House/Ballantine 979-8217300464, $28.00, 201pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/25/2026)

Fantasy novel, third in the Full Moon Coffee Shop series. In Japan there’s a coffee shop that lies under the full moon, and one day Neptune, taking the form of a human, visits the shop to help the cats working there find more ways to help customers with personal conflict. A first novel.

 

 

Patterson, Ian: The Fruits of Our Labor (Shiraki Press 978-1970458091, $18.99, 180pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/25/2026)

Short SF novel. In 2049, asexual reproduction becomes fully legal and possible, and Samara longs for the day she can escape her relationship. As men become functionally useless for the survival of humanity, protests erupt across the nation.

 

 

Pinborough, Sarah: They Say a Girl Died Here (Macmillan/Flatiron/Pine & Cedar 978-1250436689, $28.99, 320pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/25/2026)

Gothic thriller/horror novel. After moving with her family to an isolated town called Harper’s Creek, Anna Maybourne feels stuck, and the only interesting thing to her is the murders from the killer known as the farmhandman.

 

 

Rapier, Maggie: Wolftamer (Ace 978-0593819296, $20.00, 512pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/25/2026)

Fantasy romance novel, the second in the duology The Magpie and the Wolf. Faolan is trapped with no ship on the Isle of Lost Souls with his wife, Saoirse, who pledged herself to the lands, but all he wants to do is create chaos and run away.

 

 

Ryan, Anthony: Upon the Forge of Battle (Orbit US 978-0316574648, $19.99, 512pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/25/2026)

Fantasy novel, the second in the Age of Wrath series. Thera Blackspear has become a queen, and has Elvine as her spear maiden, who holds a weapon created by gods, but as long as the Sister Lores are still around, Ascarlia can’t be safe. Simultaneous with the Orbit UK edition.

 

 

Schultz, Victor Ladis: The Book of the Jaguar (Fairwood Press 978-1958880425, $19.99, 302pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/25/2026)

Latin American fantasy novel. Álbaro Ceynos is the sole survivor of the attack of a fabled monster on his company. Now he travels a dying empire, collecting his comrades’ remains, and when he meets other mourners, he’ll explain how the attack happened. A first novel.

 

 

Shay, Kate: Portrait of a Witch Undone (Kensington/Erewhon 978-1645662273, $28.00, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/25/2026)

Contemporary fantasy novel. After destroying her reputation as the strongest witch of her generation, Maeve Ryan wants nothing more than to get rid of her magic forever, but when a researcher disappears through a painting frame, Maeve chooses to follow. A first novel.

 

 

Sims, Jonathan: The Burn Line (Poisoned Pen 978-1464258534, $18.99, 384pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/25/2026)

Horror novel. Five people become trapped in a tube car underneath London, and by the time they leave they’re all bound as witnesses of a terrifying event, but they can’t remember what. As time goes on, their realities start to fall apart, unless they can figure out what they saw.

 

 

Smith, Lauren Lee: The Night Pool (Blackstone Publishing 979-8228350274, $29.99, 354pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/25/2026)

Historical horror novel. One night in Coloma, California, Clara Tice, and Haloke witness Clementine Cobbs get lured across a river, and watch something terrible happen. Later, an attacker kills the mining men of Coloma, and Clara, Haloke, and Mei work together to stop these killings. A first novel.

 

 

Spellman, Heather: Cruel Summerween (Macmillan UK/Pan 978-1037400438, $17.00, 308pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/27/2026)

Cozy fantasy novel. As an ancient spell stirs, Izzy must figure out what to do as the wrong choice could lead to her magical world falling apart. All the while her heart is pulled between Finn and Noah. two brothers who she’s known for a long time.

 

 

Unthank, J.J.: Any More Questions for the Corpse (The Quick Brown Fox/Crooked Lane 979-8892426909, $29.99, 288pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, 08/25/2026)

Mystery fantasy novel. Malowin Gladstone was raised by two skeletons, and all he wants is to get through university without the use of necromancy, but this becomes much harder when he’s recruited to hunt down a serial killer. A first novel.

 

 

Vair, C.N.: The Devil Knows Her Name (Penguin Random House/Berkley 979-8217188758, $30.00, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/25/2026)

Fantasy horror novel. Tess Wynne was on the brink of death, and swore that she’d do anything to live. The devil hears her, and offers a deal where she will be ageless, but tied to the land she almost died on, which is on the edge of the Appalachian town Burrsville. A first novel.

 

 

Wendig, Chuck: The Calamities (Penguin Random House/Del Rey 979-8217091829, $32.00, 592pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

Fantasy horror novel, the first in The Fiends duology. Mourning Mayne is part of a family of fiends, half-human and half-demon, but he doesn’t accept his family’s legacy of cruelty. When his father demands he comes home, he becomes forced to choose his destiny. Simultaneous with the Del Rey UK edition.

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The post New Book Releases: Aug 25, 2026 appeared first on Locus.

Visit our bookshop.org page to purchase this week’s new books and support your local bookstore. And us!

 

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Ampersand, Erin: Time to Play (Tor 978-1250470171, $18.99, 368pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

SF LitRPG novel, the first book in the Apocalypse Parenting series. A mom has to teach their kids how to fight after Earth is transported to an intergalactic game show, and everyone is given supernatural powers.

 

 

Andersen, Kurt: The Breakup (Penguin Random House/Random House 978-1984801371, $30.00, 576pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

Near-future satirical/dystopian political SF novel. In 2045, a couple with a failing marriage is brought together to tour colleges with their seventeen-year-old. They road trip through a broken America that’s been reshaped by a civil war.

 

 

Anonymous: Dreams Divine (Flame Tree Collections UK 978-1835627952, $30.00, 416pp, formats: hardcover, 08/18/2026)

Fantasy romance anthology. Features stories from Benjamin Adams, Aishatu Ado, Dee Alberts, Danielle Marie Cahill, Bella Chacha, Victor W. Clubb, Irene W. Collins, K.S. Dearsley, H.L. Docherty, Philip Brian Hall, and many more.

 

 

Anonymous: Of Swords & Roses (Flame Tree Collections UK 978-1835627969, $30.00, 416pp, formats: hardcover, 08/18/2026)

Fantasy romance anthology. Features stories from Erica Barnes, Keyan Bowes, Kim Chance, Deborah L. Davitt, Sarina Dorie, Umenyi Chisomaga Evelyn, Jonathan Ficke, Jess L. Freed, M.A. Gardner, and many more.

 

 

Blackwood, Lauren: The Queen’s Bodyguard (Penguin Random House/Delacorte 979-8217092413, $32.00, 307pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

Fantasy romance novel. Queen Theora selects Argos to be her bodyguard during negotiations, and while they’re technically married, she has no plan to have their souls bound together, but over time she begins to change her mind.

 

 

Blake, Olivie: Dreamland (Tor 978-1250368935, $29.99, 368pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

Fantasy novel. Anya is invited to work for the de Witt family, one of the most important film dynasties in LA. It’s there where she finds herself oddly attracted to Jude, and discovers a family curse that lives within the walls of their villa. Simultaneous with the Tor UK edition.

 

 

Cantor, Jillian: The Season of Light and Darkness (Simon Pulse 979-8347107285, $21.99, 352pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

Young-adult dystopian SF novel. Ellie and her family decide to freeze themselves cryogenically in order to escape a dictatorship. When the government finds the lab, Ellie is the only one who gets unfrozen, and she must become “initiated.”

 

 

Cavendish, Catherine: The Ghosts of Chanterlands (Flame Tree Collections UK 978-1787589919, $26.95, 272pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 08/18/2026)

Horror novel. In the year 1940, Pamela Courtney is evacuated to Chanterlands, where her aunts live, but secrets are stirring in the house, and greater danger is awaiting Pamela as the safety her mother hoped for is not gaurunteed.

 

 

Cesare, Adam: Clown in a Cornfield 4: Lights! Camera! Frendo! (Harper 978-0063325081, $19.99, 400pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

Young-adult slasher horror novel, fourth in the Clown in a Cornfield series. Sabrina Alvarez is cast as the final girl in a horror movie, but things feel off as this movie based on real events begins to feel like it might repeat itself.

 

 

Cornell, P.A.: The Astronaut Among the Flowers and Other Stories (Stars and Sabers 978-1967550005, $30.00, 218pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, 08/18/2026)

Collection of 21 stories that look into human connections to each other, to technology, to the world, and to themselves. Includes stories such as “Once Upon a Time at The Oakmont,” and “Split.”

 

 

Fletcher, C.A.: The Two of Us at the End of the World (Orbit US 978-0316538695, $19.99, 400pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

Post-apocalyptic SF novel. As the world is falling apart, a couple is falling in love, and when they realize they’re some of the only people in the world who can still have kids, the government does too. Simultaneous with the Orbit UK edition.

 

 

Gilman, Carolyn Ives: Testament of Leaves (Fairwood Press 978-1958880302, $16.99, 120pp, formats: paperback, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

SF novella. On a faraway planet, inscrutinator Shameesh Kulkarni must find out why a linguist has died, but no one wants to help her besides a digital copy of the victim, and an octopod.

 

 

Hallow, S.M.: The Halls of the Dead (Harper Voyager US 978-0063446984, $30.00, 352pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

Gothic fantasy novel. Irene Haley has been practicing necromancy her entire life, and when her love, Agnes, is hanged, she decides to perform a resurrection, something that hasn’t been done successfully in two thousand years. A first novel.

 

 

Jae-Jones, S.: Guardians of Dawn: Suhwa (St. Martin’s/Wednesday Books 978-1250191519, $22.00, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 08/18/2026)

Young-adult fantasy novel, fourth in the Guardians of Dawn series. When Min Suhwa leaves her convent for the first time in her life, she finds herself having to flee from a Huntsman who’s trying to take her life. Simultaneous with the Titan Books UK edition.

 

 

Lemming, Kimberly: I Punched an Alien and Now We’re in Couples Therapy (Penguin Random House/Berkley Romance 978-0593818657, $20.00, 352pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

SF romance novel. Blair is captured by aliens, and taken to their planet where she is to be put into a breeding program with the arrogant king Osid. Together, they must complete increasingly difficult, and dangerous challenges

 

 

Monét, Noelle: Bound by Fury (Simon & Schuster/McElderry 978-1665979870, $21.99, 496pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

Young-adult fantasy novel. Harper goes to Black Mountain Academy to discover more about her new powers, but as she digs deeper, she realizes that the academy has sinister secrets beneath the surface. A first novel.

 

 

Moronova, K.M.: Once Written in Gilded Blood (Sourcebooks/Bloom Books 978-1464279041, $29.99, 336pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

Fantasy romance novel, second in the Cruel Fates duet. Alira married the Blood Knight in order to end the war, and prove that peace between demons and demigods is possible, but the gods are restless and people keep fighting. Simultaneous with the Penguin Random House UK edition.

 

 

Pacton, Jamie & Podos, Rebecca: Homeward for a Spell (Penguin Random House/Del Rey 978-0593873670, $18.99, 368pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

Cozy romantic fantasy novel, second in a series. Sage and Araphi go on a life-changing adventure together with a team of ragtag explorers. As time goes on, Sage and Araphi begin to develop great chemistry together. Simultaneous with the Penguin Random House UK edition.

 

 

Pedersen, Kailee: The Minimalist (St. Martin’s 978-1250328274, $18.99, 272pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

Horror novel. Mia Voss must finish the unfinished manuscript of her late teacher, Ryder Wakefield. Mia abandons her girlfriend to work in Ryder’s home, where she begins to unpack with the complicated bond she had with him.

 

 

Pratt, Tim: The Jewel and the Comet (Angry Robot UK 978-1836730224, $18.99, 400pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

SF novel, the second in the Nigh-Space multiverse. Glenn is pulled out of his normal life to navigate through the multiverse, while his girlfriend, Vivy, is called on a scouting trip to stop a comet.

 

 

Pulley, Natasha: The Salt King (Bloomsbury USA 978-1639737291, $29.99, 464pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

SF novel. Former Jesuit priest Avelyn Brocken teams up with Jericho, a doctor, to protect the world from salt light, a dangerous substance that’s been turning people into salt. Simultaneous with the Orion UK edition.

 

 

Sandeen, Del: These Walls Remember (Penguin Random House/Berkley 978-0593955666, $30.00, 352pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

Horror novel. Strange things begin happening to sisters Mickie and Delilah after learn ingmore about the history of the house they inherited. Mickie must save her sister before they’re both changed forever by the house.

 

 

Schwab, Kathleen: Queenswood (Blackstone Publishing 979-8228465084, $29.99, 346pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

Historical fantasy novel set in 12th-century Ireland. Angus, the Crown Prince of Faerie, must travel to the human world in order to find a maiden who can become the next Queen of Faerie, despite how much he doesn’t want to.
A first novel.

 

 

Sharabianlou, Lexie: The Blue Moon Café and 24-Hour Occult Emporium (Penguin Random House/Dell 979-8217094684, $20.00, 448pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

Paranormal romance novel. Talula Smith runs the worst coffee shop in town, but that’s the point. The true purpose of the café is to protect and provide new identities for magical beings that are at risk. A first novel.

 

 

Singh, Amal: Slow Burn (Flame Tree Press UK 978-1787589889, $26.95, 224pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 08/18/2026)

Fantasy novel. Failed actor Rishi Tripathi is sent to an inverted version of Mumbai. In this world, he’s a superstar, but when the actions of his doppelganger start having consequences, he’s forced to make a hard decision.

 

 

Snow, Eli: The Divine Gardener’s Handbook (St. Martin’s/Saturday Books 978-1250395184, $31.00, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

New adult SF novel. Cyprin cheats her way into getting a job in the divine gardens, and starts working with her rival, Purcell. They begin to form a bond that might ruin Cyprin’s life. A first novel.

 

 

Young, E.G.: A (Dead) Thing Like Me (Holiday House 978-0823461066, $19.99, 352pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

Young-adult ghost novel. A ghost named Hot Dog is summoned by Logan, an artist grieving the death of her best friend. Hot Dog hopes this will make her feel alive again, but she’ll need to confront the reason behind her death. A first novel.

 

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While you are here, please take a moment to support Locus with a one-time or recurring donation. We rely on reader donations to keep the magazine and site going, and would like to keep the site paywall free, but WE NEED YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT to continue quality coverage of the science fiction and fantasy field.

The post New Book Releases: Aug 18, 2026 appeared first on Locus.

Visit our bookshop.org page to purchase this week’s new books and support your local bookstore. And us!

 

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Afifi, Nadia: A Fugitive’s History of the Known Universe (Flame Tree Press UK 978-1787589483, $26.95, 288pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 08/11/2026)

SF novel. Azad is being hunted across the galaxies by the Vitruvian Authorities because he exposed the dark past of his world. Azad and his team need to team up with a space pirate to start a revolution.

 

 

Anonymous: Critical Role: The Mighty Nein: Stories Untold (Penguin Random House/Random House Worlds 979-8217298488, $30.00, 320pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Tie-in anthology of Critical Role, stories based on the livestreamed roleplaying game. Nine different tales of some of the most memorable characters, including: Essek Thelyss, Isharni, and Pumat Sol. Simultaneous with the Penguin Random House UK edition.

 

 

Ayinde, M.H.: A Dance of Burning Blades (Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-1668086858, $22.00, 688pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Epic fantasy novel, the second in the A Song of Legends Lost series. Tension is growing everywhere across the nine lands. The people hope to find out the secrets the king has been keeping from them.

 

 

Bennett, Robert Jackson: A Trade of Blood (Penguin Random House/Del Rey 978-0593723852, $32.00, 400pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Fantasy mystery novel, third in the Shadow of the Leviathan series. Ana Dolabra must prove the innocence of the heir of one of the Empire’s most powerful families, and if she doesn’t, the Empire will fall apart. Simultaneous with the Hodder & Stoughton UK edition.

 

 

Kim, Bo-Young & Bowman, Sophie: A Plagued Sea (Tor/Nightfire 978-1250380753, $24.99, 102pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Horror novel. An earthquake on the coast of Haewon, a small seaside village, released a plague that turns its victims into fish monsters. Mu-young has been doing everything she can to survive here for the past three years.

 

 

Chapman, Clay McLeod: Devil Inside (Harlequin/Mira 978-0778306214, $18.99, 384pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Horror romance novel. After an accident that nearly cost his life, Jordan’s grip on reality seems to be slipping. After getting ghosted by a woman named Lilith, things start to get even weirder. Simultaneous with the Titan Books UK edition.

 

 

Dade, Olivia: World’s Okayest Oracle (Reluctantly) Seeks Demon (Penguin Random House/Berkley Romance 978-0593818220, $20.00, 458pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Supernatural romantic comedy novel, the second in the Supernatural Entanglements series. Gwen Wexloff can see the future, but not when it matters, until one day, she experiences a world-changing vision, and she needs to find help.

 

 

Doty, Max: The House that Eats the Dead (Macmillan/Tor Nightfire UK 979-8217092239, $20.00, 336pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/18/2026)

Horror novel. Claire discovers that her family’s new house eats anything that used to be alive. When she exploits this power, she forms a bond with the house, but its hunger starts to grow.

 

 

El-Arifi, Saara: Earthbound (Penguin Random House/Del Rey 978-0593723067, $29.99, 384pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Fantasy novel. Alder returns to the cave he was born in to discover more about his past, and the truth has him shaken. In the fae court, Yeeran is trying to create a peace treaty with the elven army.

 

 

Goodman, A.B.: House of Atreus: Orestes’ Return (Planetary Books 979-8188214753, $19.99, 144pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, 07/20/2026)

SF novel, third in the House of Atreus series. Agamemnon’s exiled son, Orestes, has finally come of age, and must prove himself to Apollo, as he returns home to the kingdom.

 

 

Hanrahan, Gareth: The Dungeon Book (Orbit US 978-0316595421, $19.99, 352pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Fantasy novel. After Bait is captured by a dragon, and left for dead in a dungeon, she’s taken in by a family of goblins, and is given the chance to decide where she belongs. Simultaneous with the Orbit UK edition.

 

 

Jafari, Sara: Heavensent & Hellbent (Penguin Random House/Delacorte 979-8217028634, $20.99, 416pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Young-adult fantasy romance novel. After seeing Zain kill a man, Roxana realizes that demons (and also angels) exist, but she can’t help her attraction towards him.

 

 

Johnston, E.K.: The Third Period Comeback (Penguin Random House/Dutton 979-8217110421, $17.99, 176pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Upper middle-grade “magic-tinged” novel. Hayley Rilko is cursed to ruin any hockey team she plays for, but it doesn’t go into effect until she’s no longer a kid, so she becomes determined to break the curse.

 

 

Kelly, James Patrick: The Book of Bots (Fairwood Press 978-1958880418, $19.99, 302pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 08/14/2026)

Collection of 12 stories about robots and AI that come in all different forms. Some are in the shape of a car, some are from the far future, and some only exist in cyberspace.

 

 

Keslowitz, Steven: Traveling the Yellow Brick Road: What We Learn from The Wizard of Oz and Wicked (McFarland 978-1476699646, $39.95, 236pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 08/13/2026)

Critical non-fiction focusing on the films, looking at the world of Oz as a reflection of American society, exploring how beliefs about heroism, villainy, ethics, and truth change between the classic film and the recent Wicked films.

 

 

Maberry, Jonathan: Bewilderness (WordFire Press 978-1680577969, $23.99, 514pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, 08/11/2026)

SF horror novel. A doorway to a parallel dimension malfunctions and causes infinite parallel Earth’s to collide with our’s. Abby Corman is the only one who knows how to stop this, but an alien hunter is determined to stop her.

 

 

Okungbowa, Suyi Davies: Season of the Serpent (Orbit US ‎978-0316428996, $19.99, 368pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Epic fantasy novel, the third book in the Nameless Republic trilogy. The Nameless Republic and Kangalaland are on the verge of war, and everyone must pick a side. Lilong lost her power, and is doing everything she can to get it back.

 

 

Penelope, Leslye: The Inevitable Undoing of Zahara Douglass (Orbit US/Redhook 978-0316594691, $19.99, 496pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Contemporary fantasy novel. After the disappearance of Zahara’s sister, no one remembered she even existed in the first place, besides her. Four years later she finds evidence of her existence, and hires a private investigator to look into her past.

 

 

Ribay, Randy: Nest of Tongues (Penguin Random House/Random House 979-8217024346, $19.99, 384pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Young-adult paranormal horror novel inspired by Filipino mythology. Lily and her brother Caleb are vampires, but choose to keep it a secret, until one day when a monster hunter kills another vampire.

 

 

Smith, Jasmine: Death Card (Penguin Random House/Putnam 978-0593858295, $13.99, 304pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Young-adult contemporary fantasy novel. Mikaela Broussard has a vision of a customer stabbing her in the heart. She decides to spend time with the customer, Joelle, in order to gather more information, but starts to find her irresistible. A first novel.

 

 

Spotts, Isabelle: Saint Delilah (Penguin Random House/Berkley 979-8217189816, $30.00, 311pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Horror novel. Delilah, a ghost, is trying to clear her unfinished business, and she needs to start with finding who her killer is, so she teams up with the owner of a strip club she used to dance at, and a stranger who can hear and touch her. A first novel.

 

 

Tchaikovsky, Adrian: Preaching to the Choir (Rebellion/Solaris UK 978-1837867301, $32.99, 176pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/13/2026)

SF novel, second in the Terrible Worlds: Transformations series. Ross asked Elena to come with her to a mysterious family gathering for moral support, despite the fact that spouses aren’t invited, and they uncover dark secrets.

 

 

Tooley, Adrienne: There Are Ghosts Here (Penguin Random House/Delacorte 979-8217027897, $19.99, 272pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Young-adult speculative horror novel. Willa Childs forgets the details of the accident that sent her to the Dorsey House, and the others stuck there, Caroline and Ivy, are intending to keep it from her.

 

 

Walter, Heather: The Witch Queen (Penguin Random House/Del Rey 978-0593598399, $30.00, 560pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/11/2026)

Fantasy novel, second in the Crimson Crown duology. Queen Ayleth knows that having the kingdom under her rule isn’t perfect, and she’s consumed by fears that the witches will come to remove her, or that people will find out her secret. Simultaneous with the Penguin Random House UK edition.

 

 

Whitten, Hannah: Reliquary (Orbit US/Run For It 978-0316579537, $30.00, 320pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, 08/11/2026)

Horror novel. The estranged family of Claire’s late fiancé, Elias, reaches out after his death, and invites her to a three day stay at Harrow Point. While she’s there, she uncovers the reason behind her traumatic connection to the ocean.

 

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While you are here, please take a moment to support Locus with a one-time or recurring donation. We rely on reader donations to keep the magazine and site going, and would like to keep the site paywall free, but WE NEED YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT to continue quality coverage of the science fiction and fantasy field.

The post New Book Releases: Aug 11, 2026 appeared first on Locus.

Visit our bookshop.org page to purchase this week’s new books and support your local bookstore. And us!

 

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Arena, Brittney: To Dance with Death (Penguin Random House/Del Rey 978-0593973226, $30.00, 400pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

Fantasy novel, the second in the Edge of Glass series. Vasalie sacrificed herself to kill King Illian. Now his brother, Anton, made a deal with the goddess of the underworld to bring King Illian back.

 

 

Broadbent, Carissa: The Lion & the Deathless Dark (Tor/Bramble 978-1250367846, $29.99, 560pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

Fantasy romance novel, fifth in the Crowns of Nyaxia series. Kyrene makes a deal with her enemy, Septimus, to slay the gods in exchange for money. Simultaneous with the Tor Bramble UK edition.

 

 

Corr, Katharine & Corr, Elizabeth: Queen of the Gods (Candlewick Press 978-1536244540, $19.99, 448pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 08/04/2026)

Young-adult fantasy novel, second in the House of Shadows trilogy. Deina is trapped in the underworld, and is offered the chance to become a goddess by Hades, but she refuses, and decides to escape.

 

 

Diaz, Glenn: Yñiga (Coffee House Press 978-1566897556, $17.99, 264pp, formats: paperback, 08/04/2026)

Novel about modern Philippine life with supernatural elements. Yñiga’s neighborhood is burned down, so she visits an old friend, and they go to the nearby forest that houses trauma that still haunts her family.

 

 

Erbach, Dane: Meat Bees (Clash Books 978-1968043056, $21.95, 290pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 08/04/2026)

Horror novel. Scarlett finds herself searching for a co-worker that disappeared, but instead of finding him, she discovers a swarm of yellow jackets eating meat off of his corpse.

 

 

Flint, Eric & Barber, Griffin: 1637: The Pilgrim’s Passage (Baen 978-1668073346, $28.00, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 08/04/2026)

SF novel in Flint’s Ring of Fire series. Princess Begum Sahib is being escorted to Jeddah, but the real reason she’s leaving is so she can have her child in secret.

 

 

Forst, Devin: Strange and Terrible Things (Abrams 978-1419780615, $19.99, 208pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

Upper middle-grade non-fiction/art book. Guide to nearly 80 creatures of different myths, and folklore from all over the world. Includes chapters such as: Fiendish Faeries, Menacing Monsters, and Creepy Cryptids.

 

 

Gong, Chloe: Eyes of Kings (Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-1668000298, $29.00, 400pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

Fantasy novel, third in the Flesh and False Gods series. Unrest is stirring in the kingdom of Talin. The recently dethroned king August Shenzhi is ready to go to war with the one who dethroned him, Calla Tuoleimi.

 

 

Hampson, Robert E.: The Sands of Mars (Baen 978-1964856735, $17.99, 432pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 08/04/2026)

Near-future SF novel, second in the Bionic Frontier series. Colonel Shepard is on a mars base and struggling with missing his family, but the rest of the base is struggling with trusting each other as suspicion of sabotage arises.

 

 

Karlie, Logan: Cursed by the Dawn (Little, Brown/Ottaviano 978-0316610889, $24.99, 352pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

Young-adult fantasy romance novel. Esmer and Erebus must stop the demon king from destroying everything, but they realize something horrible has already happened, and their love might be the first thing to go.

 

 

LaRocca, Eric: We Turn Gruesome at Night (Titan Books UK 978-1803369556, $28.99, 304pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/09/2026)

Horror novel. Second in the Burnt Sparrow series. Gladys Esherwood and Rupert Cromwell are trapped in the End House. One day Rupert is introduced to a secret organization that shows him the secrets of the town.

 

 

Larue, Taylor J.: Steelborn (Little, Brown/Requited 978-0316599412, $32.00, 432pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

Fantasy romance novel. Reya Connery is a thief who follows a strict set of rules, but when a heist goes wrong, she needs to rethink her principles, which is when she meets Caelan Halcyon, an immortal warrior. A first novel.

 

 

Lloyd, Ellery: Time to Burn (Harper 978-0063323056, $28.99, 320pp, formats: hardcover, 08/04/2026)

SF mystery novel. Time travel is real, but only available to the ultra-wealthy, and on the first ever trip to the past, a group of billionaires return covered in blood, and with one of their members missing. Simultaneous with the Macmillan UK edition.

 

 

MacLean, S.A.: Sunsplitter (Orbit US 978-0316573146, $9.99, 581pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

Spicy fantasy romance novel, second in the Beasts of the Void series. Fi needs to rebuild her city with the help of Antal, but Antal is brought home by his father, and he must prepare himself for the first homecoming in 50 years. Simultaneous with the Orion UK edition.

 

 

Moriarty, Jaclyn: Time Travel for Beginners (Penguin Random House/Berkley 978-0593820339, $30.00, 544pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

SF novel. In Sydney, Australia, there is a coffee shop known as the time travel agency, which allows you to go anywhere in the past, without the risk of changing the future. Simultaneous with the HarperCollins UK edition.

 

 

Rath, Emily: Devour Me (HarperCollins/Avon 978-0063484764, $22.00, 528pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

Paranormal love triangle romance novel, the first in a trilogy. Dáinn has spent two centuries working for a witch. While on a mission to kill a rival witch, Dáinn makes a deal to spare a life, if they kill his mistress.

 

 

Revis, Beth: Chaotic Orbits (Astra House/DAW 978-0756420802, $20.00, 400pp, formats: paperback, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

Omnibus of the Chaotic Orbits trilogy: Full Speed to a Crash Landing (2024), How to Steal a Galaxy (2024), and Last Chance to Save the World (2025).

 

 

Rose, Stephanie: Small Town Slasher (Death by TBR Books 979-8218635510, $8.99, 276pp, formats: ebook, 08/04/2026)

Serial-killer horror novel. Horror fan Jenna rents a horror themed cabin in rural Montana, but the day before she arrives, people begin to get murdered, and it’s clear a massacre is starting.

 

 

Saft, Allison: Immortal Game (St. Martin’s/Wednesday Books 978-1250404763, $22.00, 400pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

Young-adult fantasy romance novel. Shea Fury is given the chance to participate in a chess tournament, where the winner is granted one wish, and hers is to free her sister from the land of fae.

 

 

Salisbury, Melinda: Local Gods (Simon & Schuster/Sarah Barley 979-8347101474, $19.99, 384pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

YA folk horror novel. Sylvie spends most of her time in an abandoned railway station avoiding carnivorous deer, but one day she finds a dying god named Illican, who can teach her magic that would save her town.

 

 

Sambury, Liselle: A Clash of Carnivores (Simon & Schuster/McElderry 978-1665957397, $24.99, 608pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

Young-adult horror novel, second in the Mastery of Monsters trilogy. August Black is bonded with a monster, Virgil, for life, and they must prepare for the Monster’s Ball, despite their challenging relationship.

 

 

Stiefvater, Maggie & Milledge, Sas: The Dream Thieves: The Graphic Novel (Penguin Random House/Viking 978-0593621233, $17.99, 288pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, 08/04/2026)

Graphic novel adapted by Stiefvater from her Raven Cycle. Ronan Lynch has a secret ability to pull things out of dreams, and it’s almost killed him multiple times.

 

 

Stovall, Shami: One-Fifth Dragon (Baen 978-1668073353, $28.00, , formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

Fantasy Novel. Story of a person whose “found family” murdered their true family, and now they’re determined to get revenge using the techniques this family taught them.

 

 

Swan, Richard: The Infinite State (Tor 978-1250386229, $29.99, 416pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

Dystopian SF novel, the first in the Decurion Saga. Katherine Fuller’s father is a member of the fascist Pater Aeternus, and she’s using this power to attempt to create a more fair world. Simultaneous with the Orion UK edition.

 

 

Ward, Tristis: Assassin at Allgate (Hades/EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy 978-1770532588, $15.95, 236pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, 08/04/2026)

Space opera/mystery novel, the first book in the Desire & the Law series. Desire, an android, was built to assassinate an alien aristocrat, but when the aristocrat is murdered by someone else, she tries to find the real killer.

 

 

Watchorn, Morgan J.: Fire to the Stars (Penguin Random House/Knopf 978-0593708446, $19.99, 416pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

Young-adult fantasy romance novel. Every month, an event happens that turns people into dragon shifters. Claire forms an alliance with dragon slayer, Abel, to help her get the life she once had back. A first novel.

 

 

Weymouth, Laura E.: The Castle & The Cloister (Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-1668069660, $20.00, 448pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

Fantasy novel, first in the Daughter’s of Light series. A queen that’s teetering on the edge of loyalty and betrayal, and a priest that waits in darkness will decide the fate of a kingdom together. Simultaneous with the Penguin Random House UK edition.

 

 

Winters, Julian: Find My Way Down to You (Penguin Random House/Viking , $13.99, 384pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 08/04/2026)

YA fantasy romance novel. August is grieving the death of his boyfriend when he accidentally stumbles into the underworld. Down there, he’s forced to choose between a normal life with grief, or a life with love that might ruin him.

 

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While you are here, please take a moment to support Locus with a one-time or recurring donation. We rely on reader donations to keep the magazine and site going, and would like to keep the site paywall free, but WE NEED YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT to continue quality coverage of the science fiction and fantasy field.

The post New Book Releases: Aug 4, 2026 appeared first on Locus.

Visit our bookshop.org page to purchase this week’s new books and support your local bookstore. And us!

 

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Aragon, Jesse: The Demon Star (The Broken Binding 978-0756420536, $29.00, 448pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/28/2026)

Science fantasy novel. Ysira Natkis escaped death and brought back something that could change the fate of her civilization, and now she must battle aliens, cultists, and gods to prevent the apocalypse. A first novel.

 

Blackwell, Juliet: The Séance Garden (Penguin Random House/Berkley 978-0593638262, $18.99, 400pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/28/2026)

Ghost mystery novel. Professor Harper Grae is a non-believer in the supernatural, but that’s put to the test when a mysterious murder happens at the “haunted” mansion of the Perles family.

 

Chan, Eliza: Harbour of Hungry Ghosts (Orbit US 978-0316589710, $19.99, 400pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/28/2026)

Fantasy novel inspired by Asian lore. When Kiamling’s grandmother is taken by a strange monster during the Hungry Ghosts festival, she must find out what happened and lead a search to save her grandmother. Simultaneous with the Orbit UK edition.

 

 

Davidson, Cesi: Laterals (Aqueduct Press 978-1619762923, $12.00, N/App, formats: paperback, ebook, 08/01/2026)

Collection of short plays. Part of the Conversation Pieces series.

 

Durst, Sarah Beth: Sea of Charms (Tor/Bramble 978-1250400673, $29.99, 384pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/28/2026)

Cozy fantasy romance novel. Marin sails from island to island working as a supply runner. When she visits the capital during a revolution she makes a deal with her friend Dax, but starts to discover her underlying feelings towards him.

 

Eames, Andrea: A Tangled Magic (Kensington/Erewhon 978-1645661894, $28.00, 464pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/28/2026)

Dark fantasy novel. Netta has lived in a tower her entire life, with only her hair that moves on its own, and a telepathic raven to accompany her. When her mother vanishes, she goes on a quest to save her.

 

Hannan, Sophia: We Were Never Here (Simon & Schuster 978-1665958332, $19.99, 352pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/28/2026)

Young-adult horror novel. When Georgia’s girlfriend mysteriously dies visiting a haunted house, her life falls apart. Months later, she’s forced to return to her old life as a thief, but when she tries to steal a painting, something horrifying happens A first novel.

 

Henning, Sarah: Such a Witch (Little, Brown 978-0316584371, $19.99, 400pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/28/2026)

Young-adult magic school rom-com. Embry Woodcross, a witch and senior at Raven’s Head School for the Magically Gifted, takes a new student, Oakley Riddle, under her wing, but after a murder, she becomes the main suspect.

 

James, Calvin: Affairs of State (Titan Books UK ‎ 978-1835416211, $19.99, 496pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 07/28/2026)

SF novel. Levar Boylan, a junior supply officer, finds himself as a diplomat discussing peace treaties with the empire, all because his ex is the reigning demon emperor. After they reconnect, they discover the spark is still there. A first novel.

 

Johnson, Lora Beth: Hell to Pay (Penguin Random House/Putnam 978-0593856529, $20.99, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/28/2026)

Young-adult fantasy novel. After the death of her brother, and disappearance of her parents, Elle feels lost, until one day, she’s offered a job to steal a soul from the afterlife, a task that’s much easier said than done.

 

Lim, Elizabeth: Fishbone Cinderella (Penguin Random House/Del Rey 979-8217092987, $30.00, 448pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/28/2026)

Fantasy novel inspired by Chinese folklore and Western fairy tales. A book that explores the family dynamics of mothers and daughters across decades and cultures.

 

Omar, Sara: The Harpy Knight (Titan Books UK 978-1835412848, $18.99, 432pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/28/2026)

Fantasy novel second in the Chaos Constellation trilogy. After conquering the kingdom of Dumakra, Bataar Rhah focuses attention on Aglea in the north, a land of monster infested marshes, and pagan berserkers.

 

René, Leslie: Maggie and Arthur’s Magic Moment (Ace 978-0593956182, $20.00, 432pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/28/2026)

Fantasy romance novel. Maggie Linden, an Incantations Translation professor, becomes forced to share her basement office with Arthur Taliesin, an alchemist with an insufferable attitude, but she starts to realize he’s putting on an act. A first novel.

 

Roux, Madeleine: Star Wars: Legacy (Penguin Random House/Random House Worlds 978-0593982662, $30.00, 416pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/28/2026)

Star Wars tie-in novel set between episodes VIII and IX. Leia Organa does everything she can to train Rey, but her knowledge of the force is extremely limited, so they choose to journey to an old Jedi temple on Tython together. Simultaneous with the Penguin Random House UK edition.

 

Sierra, Caleb: The Wetworks Miracle (Stelliform Press 978-1738316571, $15.00, 108pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 07/30/2026)

Dark fantasy novella. After the ecological collapse of society, humans fled their world to a place called the Wetworks, and the only plant there is something called the “Root.” People call it a miracle despite how it alters their bodies. A first novel.

 

Spires, D.A. Xiaolin: Ellipses (AudioText/Infinivox N/A, $16.00, 100pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 08/01/2026)

SF novella. Koharu is looking for a landing spot on exoplanet Kepler-62f, when she comes in contact with seemingly friendly aliens. She does everything she can to communicate with them, while at the same time trying to contact her boyfriend.

 

Thorne, Scarlett J.: Lord of the Heights (Arc Manor/Caezik SF & Fantasy 978-1647102074, $19.99, 316pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/28/2026)

Fantasy romance novel. Dark gothic romantasy reimagining of Wuthering Heights. James Lockwood moves to Yorkshire for peace, but his car gets destroyed, and the road vanishes, so his only option is to go to Wuthering Heights.

 

West, Jacqueline: Black Point (Simon & Schuster/Atheneum 978-1665981859, $19.99, 304pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/28/2026)

Young-adult dark fantasy novel set in a small town steeped in Norse traditions. When the supposedly haunted Black Point Hotel is bought by outsiders, the town is taken aback.

 

Zanetti, Rebecca: One Shattered Crown (Kensington 978-1035417964, $32.00, 380pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/28/2026)

Erotic fantasy romance novel, the third in the Grimm Bargains series. Justice Beathach and Ella Rendale have a long lasting feud, but when Justice is forced to protect her from people who want her dead, he becomes obsessed.

 

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While you are here, please take a moment to support Locus with a one-time or recurring donation. We rely on reader donations to keep the magazine and site going, and would like to keep the site paywall free, but WE NEED YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT to continue quality coverage of the science fiction and fantasy field.

Visit our bookshop.org page to purchase this week’s new books and support your local bookstore. And us!

---

Bontrager, Megan: The Sea Hides Its Dead (Orbit US/Run For It 978-0316588010, $19.99, 368pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/14/2026)

Horror novel. Grad student Caro joins a sea-cave expedition to find the ancient Cult of the Leviathan, only for the entrance to collapse and trap them inside the site. Simultaneous with the Orbit UK/Run For It UK edition.

 

Carrick, M.A.: The Eye of Leviathan (Orbit US 978-0316584845, $19.99, 512pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/14/2026)

Fantasy novel, first in The Sea Beyond series. In an alternate Spanish Golden Age, a human in the otherworldly Sea Beyond and a fae disguised as a human must take down the empire. Simultaneous with the Orbit UK edition.

 

Goodman, A.B.: House of Atreus: Agamemnon Falling (Planetary Books 979-8183814347, $19.99, 162pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/01/2026)

SF novel, second in the House of Atreus series. As Agamemnon returns home after war, Trojan prophetess Cassandra tells him that the “goddess” he sacrificed his daughter to was actually an ancient machine.

 

Grist, Rhiannon: Home Sick (Rebellion/Solaris UK 978-1837867639, $16.99, 288pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/16/2026)

Horror novel. Tamsin, after a traumatic incident, moves to a cottage with only a thin wall separating her from an unnerving woman.

 

Hachemi, Munir & Sanches, Julia: The Mulai (Coach House Books 978-1552455197, $18.95, 176pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 07/14/2026)

SF novel. An archaeologist travels to a remote planet to study the Mulai, descendants of a lost space mission with unrecognizable customs who live in domes. Translated from the Spanish by Julia Sanches. Simultaneous with the UK Fitzcarraldo edition.

 

Hunter, Faith: Unpredictable Magic (Ace 979-8217187621, $20.00, 560pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/14/2026)

Urban fantasy novel. Siblings (and private investigators) Angelina and Evan Everhart-Trueblood are drawn into a disappearance case that seems to involve Angie’s aunt and vampire ex-husband.

 

Kwok, Jean: Dominion (Penguin Random House/Putnam 979-8217044368, $32.00, 448pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/14/2026)

Romantic fantasy novel, the first in the Silk and Iron trilogy. In a world of four rival factions and tyger-bonded riders, Rubi enters a deadly competition and encounters a frustratingly handsome leader.

 

Lambert, Jennifer K.: Among the Thorns (Macmillan/Tor Bramble UK 978-1250360373, $32.99, 400pp, formats: hardcover, audiobook, 07/14/2026)

Fantasy romance novel, second in the Never the Roses series. Dream sorceress Rose is acclaimed and sought after by the prince, while isolated dream sorceress Thorn wants everything she has. This author also writes as Jeffe Kennedy; copyrighted by Jennifer M. Kennedy.

 

Marie, I.V.: Ruinous Ends (Penguin Random House/Delacorte 978-0593898840, $21.99, 480pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/14/2026)

Young-adult dark academia fantasy novel, second in the series The Souls of Blackwood Academy series. After the Decennial competition, six former pupils discover new secrets about Blackwood.

 

Marillier, Juliet: The Amber Owl (Rebellion/Solaris UK 978-1763662513, $29.35, 416pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 07/16/2026)

Fantasy novel in the Heartwood series. Stasya lives by the Heartwood Forest, where she uses her gift with animals, but is relocated to court when she protests soldiers trying to hack through the woods.

 

Niven, Larry & Barnes, Steven: Ice Vegas (Blackstone Publishing 979-8228329577, $29.99, 272pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/14/2026)

SF thriller novel. Carver, a security operative, and Spider, world’s deadliest assassin, team up to stop saboteurs from damaging BALDR, a nuclear facility that powers half of Europe.

 

Oh, Temi: Not With a Bang (Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-1668203460, $18.99, 352pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/14/2026)

SF novel. The Minton family, from prepper father Marcus to Briar, drawn into a UFO cult, are confronted with an extinction-level event. Copyrighted by Temitoyen Ochuboju Douglas-Scott. First US edition (Simon & Schuster UK 5/26).

 

Olsson, Lindsey: To Drown a Witch (Penguin Random House/Putnam 979-8217004799, $20.99, 352pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/14/2026)

Young-adult fantasy romance novel, first in a duology. When the deadly entity “the Witch” shows signs of being reborn, thief Nes, who can detect magic, is drawn into the hunt by Toran of the King’s Guard.

 

Parker, Natalie C.: The Assassin’s Guide to Dating (Candlewick Press 978-1536243291, $12.99, 256pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 07/14/2026)

Young-adult superhero romance, sequel to The Assassin’s Guide to Babysitting. At an academy for those with powers, Lila finds her “bombshell” powers are subject to increasing surveillance, hindering her growing relationship with Tru.

 

Rivers, Erynne: Wench (HarperCollins UK/Avon UK 978-0008798246, £16.99, 400pp, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/16/2026)

Fantasy romance novel. Maid Marian, unhappily betrothed to the Sheriff of Nottingham, is kidnapped in the forest by the notorious fae Merry Men and Robin Hood. A first novel.

 

Rowland, Alexandra: Yield Under Great Persuasion (Macmillan/Tor Bramble UK 978-1035087556, £22.00, 320pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/16/2026)

Fantasy romance novel. Tam sets out on a quest to find himself, finally fed up with his lover Lord Lyford, who smashed his prize-fair vegetables when they were children and is favored by the goddess Tam feels betrayed by.

 

Shunmugam, Megam: The Mortal Trials (Angry Robot UK 978-1836730156, $19.99, 304pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/14/2026)

Fantasy novel. Mistaken for someone else, Lirah enters a deadly competition and encounters a frustratingly handsome trainer.

 

Tierney, Joan: Misery’s Wife (Macmillan/Flatiron 978-1250421791, $28.99, 272pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/14/2026)

SF novel. In this retelling of a Portuguese folktale, trans woman Elixane receives a message from a toad to rescue her sister, who is married to the King of Misery.

 

Wellington, David: Erebus-13 (Orbit US 978-0316569361, $19.99, 496pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook, 07/14/2026)

SF novel, third in the Red Space series. Petrova and her crew must unite the solar system’s factions to stop Erebus, a dark entity hurtling towards Earth. Simultaneous with the Orbit UK edition.

 

Wiswell, John: The Dragon Has Some Complaints (Astra House/DAW 978-0756420499, $29.00, 400pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook, 07/14/2026)

Fantasy novel. A three-headed (formerly four-headed) dragon with bickering heads tries to sneak into a dragon-riding academy for food, and bonds with rider Rania, who’s desperate for a dragon of her own.

 

Woodroe, Alex: Brave New Weird: The Best New Weird Horror, Volume Four (Tenebrous Press 978-1959790655, $19.99, 230pp, formats: paperback, ebook, 07/14/2026)

Year’s best anthology of 23 weird stories from 2025, selected as winners of the Brave New Weird Award. Authors include Corrie Haldane, Alistair Rey, Ashley Stokes, and Audrey Zhou. Edited by Woodroe with Matt Blairstone.

 

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