We’re getting close to the end of the year, so it’s time to get excited and puff up our wishlists in time for Christmas. I’ve decided, upon review, that November is the month in which all authors have decided to release fantasy novels about assassins and heists, to varying magical degrees.

And I’m not mad about. In fact, I’m adding them all to the top of my wishlist, because in my books, assassin fantasys can do no wrong.

Oh and outside of fantasy? Not much. November is where fantasy reigns, apparently.

Fantasy 🪄

• Fallen Beauty

  

  Astrid Scholte

  Astrid Scholte is a bit of an auto-buy author for me. She always has some good and fun adventures. This has an interesting premise of a girl forced to paint some gruesome things, and it all takes place in a royal court. Lots of ticks in just that for me!

  Blurb

  A HAUNTING, WINTERY TALE OF ART, OBSESSION, AND THE PRICE OF LOVE.

  Eighteen-year-old Thorelea Winyard has been a prisoner her entire life, forced to paint dead animals pushed into her cell. She dreams of the world outside her tower and everything she’s been denied. When one of her subjects comes back to life, Thorelea is thrust into a royal court where she can have anything she desires—aside from her freedom.

  Here, she learns that the king and queen have ruled for centuries; their immortality is gifted through the power of their court painter, who dutifully updates their magical portraits. It is also here that she meets the sole other mortal of the Prince Kelter. Desperate to become immortal so he can join the ranks of the battalion waging war against a neighboring kingdom, he offers her a deal. Thorelea will paint the portrait Prince Kelter has been denied by his parents, and he will help her escape from the ruthless royal court.

  They meet each night in secret. As they grow closer, they must face the monstrous realities of Thorelea’s powers. Will she be forced to choose between her heart and her freedom?

• Defy the Dusk

  

  Danielle L. Jensen

  Can I get a wooohooo?! A new Jensen is in the house! I’m a big fan after reading A Fate Inked in Blood, and so my expectations are now sky-high. Also, isn’t this just an awesome (and sexy) cover?!

  I love the sound of this one and encourage you to read the blurb for yourself. But we’re talking post-apocalyptic, and something weird about the dawn and magic.

  Blurb

  When darkness means certain death and survival depends on reaching the dawn, the woman whose magic broke the world will carve another path: defy the dusk. From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Bridge Kingdom comes the first book in a gritty post-apocalyptic fantasy duology.

  In the Sundered world, there are two options: Ride the dawn, or face what rises in the night.

  Twenty years ago, Lirien’s magic fractured the world and unleashed nocturnal creatures that brought civilization to its knees. Amidst the carnage came salvation: The most powerful survivors were invited to board Dawnrider, a high-speed rig that would deliver those aboard into a new era.

  The rest of humanity was left to die.

  Instead, a king rose from the darkness to lead them.

  In the years since, Lirien has dedicated her magic to Dawnrider while secretly plotting to overthrow the tyrant who rules the rig with an iron fist. But just as Lirien is ready to strike against him, she is violently abducted by Vox—the king of the feralists.

  The mercurial Vox gives her two choices: Fight the creatures that hunt the night or be fed to them. Lirien agrees to join his ranks, but embarks on a strategy of seduction that will return her to Dawnrider.

  Yet as Vox pushes the limits of her magic, Lirien begins to question whether defying the dusk is the true path to salvation. Intoxicated by both Vox and his war against the night, Lirien must decide where her loyalties truly lie—and how far she’s willing to go for redemption.

• This Knight Topples Empires

  

  Ry Herman

  I just love the vibe of Herman’s covers. They’re so colourful and cheerful, and they really do promise the tongue-in-cheek vibes they’re supposed to have.

  This sounds like a good time with a cast of characters who have super lacklustre magical powers. I love that it’s a retelling of a Romanian fairytale and I think there’s going to be lots to enjoy about this.

  Blurb

  In this raucous, tongue-in-cheek fairy-tale retelling from the author of This Princess Kills Monsters, a knight embarks on an adventure to thwart an invasion, save the most beautiful woman in the world, and finally get away from their sisters.

  Jules is tired of running low-stakes errands with their five magically mismatched sisters, whose skills include killing plants, inducing sneezing, and making smaller windows … slightly larger. Blessed with a poorly controlled ability to make flowers bloom, Jules longs for a mission where they can actually prove themself. And when the siblings stumble upon a rival kingdom’s plot to overthrow their royal family, Jules sees an opportunity.

  What follows is a whirlwind of botched disguises, accidental heroics, talking animals with surprisingly strong opinions, and one very inconvenient crush on the most sought-after princess in the land. And through all this, Jules learns that happy endings are indeed possible, even if you’re not quite Prince Charming. A cozy yet epic retelling of a Romanian fairy-tale, This Knight Topples Empires proves that the greatest victories of all are love and self-acceptance.

• Cursekeeper

  

  Alexandra Christo

  Though I may have fallen behind on all of Alexandra Christo’s latest books, I still dutifully get excited and add them to my collection as they come out. And I’m loving the cover for this one.

  This time, she’s bringing us a magical library (of curses!) and fae. And honestly, I don’t need to know much more than that. But if you do, we’re talking dark conspiracies, threatened war and demons.

  Blurb

  From the bestselling author of To Kill a Kingdom comes a sweeping romantasy in which a human guardian for a library of curses and a Fallen Fae form an uneasy alliance to unravel a dark conspiracy that threatens war.

  Torn from her home and forced to train at the brutal Forge as a child, Thalia Marrow has only ever known the life of a Scion—one sworn to guard the Library of Curses. But on the night she crosses paths with an enigmatic Fae, the Library is ransacked and her brother is taken by demons, leaving Thalia as one of the last Scions still alive.

  Desperate to find her only family, Thalia follows the bloody trail to the mysterious Soren—a ruthless warrior who was cursed and banished from the Fae world. Everything about him is dangerous. Everything about him calls to her.

  Bound by necessity, the warrior librarian and the Fallen Fae must now work together to uncover what happened at the Library and unmask the shadowy new demon leader unleashing curses across the realm. But in the decadent, treacherous city of Delfs, not all is as it seems. As the threat of war rises and Thalia’s feelings for Soren grow, so too does the truth of his bloody past—and the curse that could destroy them both.

• Drown the Bones

  

  Alexandra Kennington

  We all know I’m a bit shallow when it comes to reasons for picking up a book, and this time it’s the fact they used the term ‘spare heir’. There’s just something about the spare working together with the enemy prince that has me all #yes.

  There sounds like there’s a whole lot of deviancy and magic going on – oh! and some ghosts too – when the crown prince is murdered.

  Blurb

  The spare heir must work with an enemy prince to discover who murdered her twin in this gripping slow-burn romantasy.

  As the younger twin, Merridan has never minded being the “spare” to the Rothian royal throne. She knows her brother, Von, will be an excellent king, and she’d rather devote her time to the Goddess, faithfully using her magic to send deceased spirits from the holy lake to the Afterworld.

  When the unthinkable happens and her brother is murdered, she is certain their rival kingdom, Nova, is to blame. After all, they worship a false deity and use their magic to toy with necromancy. But when the Goddess halts the investigation of Von’s death, Merridan takes matters into her own hands, using a forbidden Novian ritual to speak to her brother’s ghost.

  The last thing Merridan expects is to raise the wrong ghost. Now she’s bound to Phoenix Darragon, the arrogant crown prince of Nova—who was murdered the same night as Von. The prince makes Merridan a deal: if she takes his spirit to Nova to be resurrected, he will help her find her brother’s killer.

  But uncovering the truth about the murderer means discovering Phoenix’s secrets, too. As the attraction between Merridan and the prince becomes undeniable and the threat of war builds, she must decide whether finding the truth is worth its cost if it means her beloved relationship with the Goddess is changed forever.

• Mooncursed

  

  Holly Renee

  This one sounds like it might be generic, but we’ll have to hold off until more reviews come in. Until then, I’m lured in by some interesting themes. This is all sea-vibes, with a sea king, the ocean’s depths and I’m hoping some mermaid/siren vibes, if we’re lucky.

  There’s an unwanted marriage, something called a saltwitch and, I’d say, some spice. So who knows, this sounds like it’ll either be a good ocean romantasy or a total flop of underwater romping.

  Blurb

  A cursed sea king, a stolen bride, and a fate meant for another.

  They say madness dwells in the ocean’s depths…and in the eyes of the Drowned King. Cursed to take a human bride and break her mind the moment she sees his face, the Drowned King spends his life in torment, watching. Waiting.

  Lou was never meant to be chosen. Branded from birth as a saltwitch, she has always been seen as the cursed shadow of her moonblessed twin. Now, veiled and bound in marriage to a man she must never see, she’s thrust into a life of ancient gods and unraveling fate…and unspeakable desire.

  Yet even as fear becomes tangled with a perilous longing for the Drowned King’s heated touch, the truth of her choosing looms over her like a siren’s song. It rages louder with every breath she takes as whispers travel through the rumblings of war, of ancient goddesses awakening, of a queen with saltwater on her lips who will change everything.

  There is no stopping fate, for though she was never meant to be chosen, the moon has already summoned the tide.

• The Wolves of War

  

  John Gwynne

  John Gwynne is one of those authors that I’m actually yet to read, but have nonetheless managed to collect an unwholesome number of his books.

  This one is dabbling in some historical fiction with northern invaders conquering the “Clans”. The main character is the father of a girl called Halia, who the blurb describes as trapped in her own body but running with wolves in her dreams – in a way that has me thinking of A Game of Thrones.

  It sounds like it’s going to be a gritty fantasy of defending your loved ones and enduring bloody conquests. Everything about this sounds just good. I’m excited.

  Blurb

  THE WOLVES OF WAR ARE BARING THEIR FANGS

  The Clans once lived freely, honouring their gods and traditions. Then the northern invaders unleashed a tide of blood and fire. Now the Clans are a conquered people.

  Ivan cares not for wars or kings. His only concern is the safety of his family, especially his daughter Halia, whom he would protect with his life. Halia has been trapped in her own body since birth, yet at night she has dreams of running with wolves and speaking with fae creatures of the forest. Many believe her cursed, but Halia’s awakening powers may be the only way she and her family can survive the coming storm.

  For the wolves of war are stalking the horizon. Two princes have become mortal enemies, and an iron-toothed witch haunts the shadows. As mighty nations clash, Halia must master her strange magic to protect those she loves. To do so, she must accept a terrifying truth.

  Sometimes, the only way through the darkness is to embrace it.

• Prudence Marsh Is Not a Nobody Anymore

  

  Emily Krempholtz

  I’ve been a really big fan of cosy fantasy lately, and though I’m yet to read Krempholtz’s books, they look like they will fit the bill.

  This one follows a musician in search of a bigger life. Then there’s a charming bandit and royal heist, and that all sounds like a recipe for a good time. I love that the initial interaction between the two begins with the robbers smashing her violin to pieces, and her demanding to travel with them until they replace it. A very reasonable reaction to a robbery.

  Blurb

  A musician leaves her quaint town in search of a bigger life, only to get tangled up with a charming bandit and a royal heist in this delightful new cozy fantasy romance from the USA Today bestselling author of Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore.

  Prudence Marsh has always known she’s meant for more than playing violin at small-town taverns, so when she learns of an audition for a royal wedding, she knows this is it: her chance to be somebody. After years putting everyone else first, Pru sets out to finally pursue her dreams of being a famous bard.

  Callum DiCorvo, roguishly handsome cursebreaker and bandit extraordinaire, is content with his life of crime alongside his best friend. So content, in fact, that he’s determined to keep things exactly as they are. Cheerfully thieving is all he’s good for anyway.

  When Pru collides with Callum and his crew in a roadside robbery that leaves her beloved violin in splinters along with her dreams, she demands to travel with the bandits until they replace it. Before long, Pru finds herself growing close to the motley bunch, especially Callum, whose sparkling banter and crooked smiles tease her like a song she can’t get out of her head.

  But the bandits have stumbled upon a heist that could make all their dreams come true—breaking into the mystical Lune Vault at the palace on the same night as the wedding—leaving Pru to decide what’s more important: the dreams she’s held onto for so long, or the ones she’s building right now?

• Blood of Silver

  

  Allie Nguyen

  Look, am I mostly here for the cover? Yes, yes I am. How could anyone expect to resist such a beautiful book? But it does also sound good.

  This story seems to begin at a funeral – what a great way to start an adventure, I say. We’re then swiftly introduced to a new world where there’s magic and nice dashing young lad. And suddenly, we’ve gone from mourning to saving a kingdom. Just how I like it.

  Blurb

  A RICH, DARKLY WHIMSICAL FANTASY WITH A TOUCH OF HORROR AND A SLOW-BURN ROMANCE.

  Linh’s mother was just buried this morning. At the funeral, Linh is visited by a strange boy who hints at secrets to her mother’s past. Desperate to learn more, Linh is thrust into another world – Ebrirene, a realm governed by ancient magics – where the mysterious boy, Elior, happens to be Crown Prince.

  Here, Linh learns that the kingdom is under attack by vicious demons who threaten to break free from a portal her mother sealed years ago, and the Crown believes Linh possesses the power to seal it once more. But not everyone in Ebrirene wishes Linh well. Someone enters Linh in a deadly Tournament against her will, and a mysterious Captain, leader of the mage hunters, is determined to seek her out. Now Linh must fight for her own survival or surrender to the monsters that might be closer to her than she thinks.

• This Wretched Alchemy

  

  Tina Mars

  Umm, this sounds so good. I’ve always been a sucker for games that involve a tournament where the character really has to prove their mettle to get what they need.

  And this is just that. Following a main character who’s after revenge, she’s put through a wicked trial to vie for a ‘god-shard’, which would grant extraordinary abilities. But of course, she doesn’t care about that, she only has eyes for another contestant, who she wants to kill (except he’s handsome, so here’s betting she wants him for other reasons by the end).

  Blurb

  BETRAYAL.

  In a fractured realm ruled by warring noble Houses and the tyrannical Prime, the most coveted power lies in god-shards – divine fragments that grant extraordinary abilities to those who possess them.

  Revel’s brother was murdered in pursuit of one.

  A DEADLY GAME.

  For avenging him, Revel’s life is on the line. Forced into a treacherous bargain, she must compete in the Call – a bloody contest of heirs vying for the throne – on behalf of her enemies, and assassinate the realm’s most formidable alchemist, the Warbringer.

  Victory means her family’s freedom. Failure means death.

  A MONSTROUS POWER.

  The Prime sets the heirs on a brutal race to find the god-shard that could shift the balance of the realms. Everyone wants the win, but Revel just wants the kill. Except, the Warbringer isn’t the monster she was promised. Bound by secrets of his own, he is as dangerous as he is disarming.

  With betrayals mounting and desire warring with duty, Revel must decide who to trust in a game where even the gods have their favorites. This Wretched Alchemy by Tina Mars is a dark, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romantasy where love and loyalty become the very weapons that could destroy everything.

  A LOVE THAT CAN CUT DEEPER THAN ANY BLADE.

• The Trial of Magdalena Overmorrow

  

  Caitríona Moran

  Love, love, love this cover. This is pitched as perfect for Naomi Novik and Katherine Arden, so wow, are my expectations high or what? Also, isn’t the tag line of scholar, healer, harlot just fascinating?

  All I can say, is that you should read the blurb. But in sum, a woman who assists with abortions is accused of witchcraft and banished to an outer realm where the man in charge is a whole lot nicer to look at than expected. But he also holds her life in his hands, so here we go.

  Blurb

  Perfect for readers of Naomi Novik and Katherine Arden, The Trial of Magdalena Overmorrow is a sweeping enemies-to-lovers debut epic for romantasy-curious fantasy readers, fantasy-curious romantasy readers, and all lovers of slowburn romance.

  Scholar. Healer. Harlot.

  In her house, the villainy is her.

  Magdalena Overmorrow has been called a scholar, a healer, a harlot. She carves out some measure of freedom for the women of Astoleyn, risking capture and death by caring for them and performing forbidden abortions. When she’s betrayed by a close confidante, she faces banishment to the realm’s desolate northernmost city as an accused witch. There, she must await her trial and possible doom under the watchful aegis of the Lord Proctor of Cair Gramora, a man so pious and humorless it is rumored that he has never once laughed in his life.

  When she arrives, though, Magda is surprised to find that the Lord Proctor isn’t the grizzled old priest she expected but a man barely older than she is. As cold and mysterious and beautiful as the mountains at the cair’s northern border, he holds her life in his hands. One word from him could send her to the stake or worse, but she can’t help her fascination with a man and fellow scholar who is more than he appears to be, and the dangerous secrets he is clearly keeping. As her trial draws closer and the intrigue of the isolated cair threatens them both, she and the Lord Proctor must form an uneasy alliance that could either save her life or lead her to martyrdom and ruin.

• Lavender & Hemlock

  

  Lili Wilkinson

  I really should get onto to actually reading something by Lili Wilkinson at some point. But in the meantime, here’s another to add my selection of choice.

  This sounds like a charming cosy fantasy involving a cottage, a housemaid and a knight. It sounds a bit like Cinderella meets Rapunzel. Plus it’s a sapphic romance, and I love a nice little twist on the classics.

  Blurb

  A housemaid’s quiet life is disrupted when the arrival of a mysterious visitor causes her to question the nature of her seemingly-charming cottage home in this sweet, cozy romantasy with a dark heart.
  
  Step into the Oubliette and forget your troubles….

  Housemaid Tansy’s days are all the same. Her only duties are to tend to her charge, old Lady Aster, and take care of their quaint cottage home. The seaside house is charming, peaceful, and above all, isolated. Tansy can’t remember the last time she left…or when she arrived.

  Merit is a Carrion Knight. A servant of the dark entity the Unmaker, she has been raised to be a monster. But when she’s wounded during a routine raid, she stumbles through a mysterious door… and finds herself tumbling into the Oubliette.

  When the two meet, an instant connection forms, and a crack appears in Oubliette’s perfect façade. As the bond between Merit and Tansy grows and powerful feelings rise to the surface, Tansy must question not only what she wants, but who she is. Because the origins of this charming world are darker than she could imagine—and the key to uncovering them might lie with Tansy herself.

• Isolde

  

  Phoenicia Rogerson

  This is probably the book I’m most excited for this month. I absolutely adored Rogerson’s Herc and I’m ready for another mythological adventure.

  This time, we’re not looking at Greek myth, but Arthurian legend. And I can’t tell you how much more excited that makes me. Who doesn’t just love Arthurian legends?! So here we are, with a feminist retelling of Tristan and Isolde. Bring it on.

  Blurb

  From the brilliantly witty author of Aphrodite and Herc comes a story set in the court of King Arthur, featuring knights, valour, sacrifice, magic and a feminist retelling of the love story of Tristan and Isolde.

  Isolde, Queen of Cornwall, is on the run.

  She didn’t mean to drink a love potion with the king’s nephew, but that little accident has made her scandalously famous. Luckily, she and Tristan find refuge in Camelot, the legendary court of King Arthur. This ought to be her happy ending.

  Only it isn’t. She discovers that Camelot is full of chivalrous knights who aren’t sure how to speak to a woman, and while it houses the greatest wizard of all time, he might just be responsible for crimes against humanity. And one more thing, the love potion has worn off…

  Now Isolde will have to work out what sort of life a woman can carve out for herself when the songs about her have already been written.

  A tale of battered reputations, Isolde introduces an unforgettable heroine finding her way through myth, love and a world of magic.

• Bones of Jade, Flesh Like Ice

  

  Gracie Marsden

  I confess I nearly passed this one over as I don’t love the cover. But then I read that this is inspired by Taiwanese myth, and the part of my brain that can’t resist a retelling instantly snapped to attention.

  Set in the 11th century, we’ve got a woman making a bargain with a shapeshifting demon (always a bad choice). Forsaking love for the promise of power, this seems to be a story of heartbreak, courage and redemption.

  Blurb

  A young woman makes a bargain with a shapeshifting demon who promises her power, if she will give up love–a painful price that sets her on a dark journey in this historical fantasy inspired by Taiwanese myth.

  Eleventh century Taiwan. In a small village, far from the political conflicts of the royal dynasty, a too-young Yu’er is sold off to be married at the word of a jing, a shapeshifting-demon who prophesizes that her parents will thus gain wealth beyond their imagination. Her new husband Xiaozhu is, like her, barely more than a child himself—but he’s kind, and, over the years, Yu’er heals as they build a home together. They become allies, then friends, then lovers.

  Until misfortune befalls them, once again at the hands of a demon. They’re left destitute and estranged. Reeling from loss, and determined to never leave her fate in another’s hands, Yu’er decides to strike her own bargain with a jing: she will have all the agency and riches she desires. She just has to leave Xiaozhu and their home together, forever—a price that will cost her more than she then understands.

  Yu’er’s choice sets off a saga that will lead her to the heart of the royal court, and bring her more power than she ever dreamed of, but may kill her humanity along the way, in this sweeping tale of love, revenge, and redemption.

• Nightcurse

  

  Emma Hinds

  Alright, this one is dabbling in the trials and tribulations of what it means to live forever. Our protagonist is 150 years old, stuck at the age of 17. That does have me pausing for thought out of fear this might read a bit young, but we shall see.

  There is a library (complete with an undead librarian) and a mystery involved missing magical artifacts, so on that front, it sounds quite exciting.

  Blurb

  Cursed with eternity, haunted by love–discover the truth about living forever in this achingly atmospheric dark academia fantasy.

  Emrys Swift is so dead. One hundred and fifty seven years worth of dead, to be exact. He’s a Revenant, nightcursed, destined to be stuck being seventeen forever. Hidden away, he spends his infinite days as an undead librarian of witchlore at the NeverEnd library–until a new Revenant arrives and magical artifacts start going missing, jeopardizing his beloved home.

  Emrys’s mortal enemy and annoyingly attractive shapeshifter Aubrey Vale is determined to solve the mystery–with Emrys’s help. Suddenly Emrys and Aubrey are magically bonded together on a quest into the dark and frost-bitten world of night-kin. But as Emrys and Aubrey interrogate ghosts and face drowning by mermaids, deathly creatures aren’t the only spectres haunting them. With the ghoulish Night Hunt chasing them down, can they outrun the secrets of Emrys’ death and Aubrey’s life? And if they can save NeverEnd’s future, can they have a future together?

  Hauntingly gorgeous and tender, Emma Hinds’ Nightcurse is both a Gothic mystery and an enemies-to-lovers romance about navigating life and love in the face of death.

• Mr. Mendlebee’s Pandimensional Literary Repository [and Yarn]

  

  Rebecca McKee

  There’s nothing quite like an obnoxiously long title to draw you in. I’ll be curious to see how this one goes as more reviews come in, because it’s your classic magical bookstore that somehow keeps the universe spinning with all the magical worlds it holds.

  So surely this will either be magical in all the ways we’re after, or utterly failing to be unique. Let’s hope for the former!

  Blurb

  The Midnight Library meets The Ten Thousand Doors of January in this mesmerizing debut about a magical bookstore’s staff who must risk everything to stop the unraveling of the universe.

  Stick your nose in these books and they just might bite.

  Living at the center of the universe, Mr. Mendlebee’s Pandimensional Literary Repository (and Yarn) is home to lost things, forgotten objects, and dark and dangerous items best left unseen. With help from the Yeti-like Book Keeper, wizened Yarn Weaver, fish-out-of-water clerk, and Muriel the cat, the seaside store keeps the universe spinning as it should while opening its doors only to those who need it most, with one caveat: once you’ve visited, you may never return.

  But when Violet, repository resident and personal friend to Mr. Mendlebee, starts seeing ghosts, the store allows its first repeat customer: Rachel, a young woman who may be the key to unlocking the secrets hiding within Mr. Mendlebee’s. Haunted by an echoing knock that sounds from nowhere, the bookstore’s staff enlists Rachel’s help to discover what’s rotten at the heart of the repository. As they do, these misfits and magical mavericks form a bond as solid as steel and as true as their hearts. But will their little community be enough to save the bookstore… and the world?

  Because Mr. Mendlebee’s is coming undone, and won’t stop until the truth is out.

• This Wild Wanting

  

  Sophie Gonzales

  I was very surprised to see that Gonzales has debuted into fantasy – she being an author I’m familiar with in the contemporary romance field.

  We have royals, a magical potion and a rescue. There’s just something about fantasy books that involve potions and potion makers, isn’t there? And I trust that Gonzales will have us in for a good time when a romance surely, inevitably … brews (har har) between the two of them.

  Blurb

  Introducing Sophie Gonzales’ sensational fantasy debut, where a magical potion comes at a terrible price to a noble’s son ―and the potion maker’s daughter who is determined to rescue him.
  
  A dangerous bargain. A forbidden alliance. An impossible love.
  
  Everybody knows about the faerie market that borders the crumbling edges of the mortal world. It is a place where almost anything can be bought . . . by those willing to pay terrible prices. Skills, memories, years of your life―even the freedom of one’s own mind are the currency of choice.
  
  Declan Bonfeld, the only son of a noble house, has never encountered a price he cannot afford to pay. Until the day he attempts to bargain with a ruthless potion merchant for the a way to bring back someone he loves. When Declan dares to steal from the tyrant’s shelves with the help of the merchant’s captive daughter, Calla, the two discover a horrifying truth. Once a stolen potion is consumed, the thief pays the price, no matter who drinks it.
  
  With Declan’s mind and body unravelling piece by piece, Calla must help him outwit her father, the man she has spent a lifetime fearing, before Declan is stripped of everything he is, and she loses the only person who has ever truly seen her.

• An Edge Sharp Enough

  

  Jesse Q. Sutanto

  Speaking of unexpected forays into fantasy, our beloved cosy crime writer Jesse Sutanto is coming at us with an epic-looking fantasy novel.

  The blurb is a short novel in itself, but in essence, this sounds like it will be a duology of assassins, scholars and a race to discover some lost magic. I’m very curious to see how this one will be received. It sounds like it will be a fully fledged world of complexities and nitty gritty fantasy goodness.

  Blurb

  In a brilliant departure from the novels that made Jesse Q. Sutanto a USA Today bestselling author—including Dial A for Aunties—comes the first book in a debut dark fantasy duology, following an assassin, a scholar, a con man, and a guard in a race to rediscover powerful lost magic and save their world…

  Mara has no memory of life before her assassin training behind the fortress-like walls of Tchu-Morrokhai, which has been her world since she was five. Practicing discipline and strategy, sacrifice and solitude, she has dedicated herself to resisting the Divine Empress’s plans of eradicating the all-but-forgotten magic. She longs for a world once again filled with magic—and freedom and love. And she’ll do whatever it takes to find those things.

  In the faraway city of Velingard, Livya is the privileged daughter of the revered scientist whose invention of an indestructible new metal was the catalyst for a great revolution. Yet Livya’s bored of suitors and balls, more interested in philosophical debates. But when an invite to a secret salon leads to a kidnapping attempt, Livya is suddenly on the run—with the unlikely aid of charming con man Kaian, a once dear childhood friend inexplicably turned frosty stranger.

  Captain Fonde has served Velingard faithfully in the twenty years since the revolution, and all has been peaceful… until now, when he’s informed that their “indestructible” metal is inexplicably starting to crumble. Ships, bridges, buildings, statues—their entire post-revolution world is literally about to come apart. Could it be that the metal—and therefore the revolution—was flawed all along? Or is there something darker—evil, ancient, inhuman—at play?

  With stunning world-building, Jesse Q. Sutanto weaves an epic tale of characters whose lives irrevocably intertwine—and unravel—as paths collide across continents, racing toward an explosive twist that will forever change all of their fates…

• Soul Sworn

  

  Kate Dylan

  Wow, what a great cover! I’m going to choose to view it as a powerful woman and not an objectified one, and therefore fall in love with the artistry.

  This is described as the first book in a ‘steamy’ duology, and it involves assassins (November seems to be the month of assassins). I love assassin fantasys where the assassin in question is ruthlessly trained (and believe it or not, that is not thanks to Sarah J. Maas but Robin LaFevers). And that seems to be exactly what we’re getting in this one: ruthless trained assassins, to whom love is forbidden, and who clearly have rippling eight-packs under their nearly-there robes ready to be deployed.

  Blurb

  The thrilling first book of a steamy duology from Sunday Times bestselling author, Kate Dylan.

  Two ruthless assassins.
  One deadly romance.

  Talia Atwater is a reaper, an elite assassin who uses her looks, her charms, and her rare ability to sense lies to rid clients of their sworn enemy: the person destined to kill their soulmate. For Talia, love is just another way to die.
  
  Cain Hawthorne was raised to be a weapon. Bound to a powerful religious order, he hunts rogue reapers in the name of the Gods. Duty is everything. Love is forbidden. All that matters is protecting their fated ties.
  
  So when Talia takes a job that threatens fate, Cain is sent to stop her.
  
  But in a world where every soul is marked—for love and death—the line between mission and desire begins to blur.
  
  As secrets unravel and attraction ignites, Talia and Cain are pulled into a dangerous game of seduction, secrets, and lies. And the closer they get to the truth, the clearer it becomes:
  
  They were never meant to fall in love.
  They were meant to destroy each other.
  
  SOUL SWORN is a dark, addictive romantasy filled with assassins, blood magic, and a sizzling enemies-to-lovers romance that will leave readers breathless.

• Birth of the Witch

  

  Nora Roberts

  Note to self: really must read one of Nora Roberts’ fantasy novels. Roberts is bringing us a witchy novel that seems routed in some history. Spanning over three hundred years, this connects the story of a witch and her descendant, and all witchy things.

  Blurb

  First in the enchanting new epic by the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of The Lost Bride Trilogy.

  Niamh McShane was born a witch and died a witch in the same moment, at the tender age of thirteen. A victim of the madness that spread from Salem Town to her home on Piety Island, her only comfort in her last hours came from the weavers imprisoned with her, who saw within her light and power and gave her some of their own.

  Over three hundred years later, on the same island, Neve McShane wakes with excitement on her thirteenth birthday and unwraps gifts from her aunts: sneakers, an iPhone, and a stunning antique pendant. Then she receives something else: a revelation that will change her life.

  Astonished, Neve learns that her aunts’ abilities go beyond simple kitchen magic and the potions they sell in their shop. Their tales of past lives aren’t just whimsical fantasies. They are witches, and so is she. Their lives–past and present–are bound together by that pivotal day centuries ago. Now Neve has been tasked with stopping a growing darkness. To prepare for the dangerous enemy that awaits, Neve hones her skills and searches for clues to aid in her quest. And at night, she dreams of a young man from Ireland whose eyes met with hers for a fateful moment, centuries ago…

• Alma Vampires

  

  Elena Armas

  I mean, we have to have some vampires to balance out all these witches and assassins, right?

  I’ll be curious to see how this one goes, because I can’t decide if it’s for me. It sounds like it might be university vampire romance, and hmmmm, that’s always a bit hit or miss.

  But basically, we have an heiress who is hiring a vampire for protection and surely, surely, that will only lead down one road: spicy vampire romance.

  Blurb

  An unsuspecting heiress with a target on her back must enlist the protection of a vampire whose wealth and secrets rival her own, in a brand new paranormal romance series from New York Times bestselling author Elena Armas.
  
  Valle Cepeda’s life changes drastically over the course of a winter break, when she goes from being an Ivy League scholarship student one day to inheriting a fortune from the mother she’s never met by the next. The fate of Alma, a coveted fashion empire, is now in Val’s hands.
  
  Hadrian Cruz presents himself as a calculating, self-serving player in the game of who takes over Alma, but that isn’t his true aim. A blood debt that chains him to a hundred-year-old wound is finally being collected, and it involves Val.
  
  Furious at everyone who would try to manipulate her, Val returns to Icarus University, only to see her world has changed shape dramatically and Hadrian is now at the center of it. She doesn’t trust him, but there are things only Hadrian can provide: protection, and the way to satiate a longing she craves more than fears.
  
  Plagued by nightmares, can Val decipher the secrets of her legacy? And can she accept that what she feels for Hadrian runs deeper than attraction? Answers always come at a cost, and these could shatter her heart… Or bind her soul to the monster she desires the most.

• Vices & Virtues

  

  Alexis L. Menard

  Excellent cover alert! But let’s start with the one red flag that this is coming from the hype of a BookTok author, so, ya know.

  This is a standalone romantasy (a rare breed) involving a witch, an evil god and secrets. All the good stuff. I suspect this will be dark, spicy and hopefully a good time.

  Blurb

  The #BestofBookTok author of House of Bane and Blood is back with an original standalone romantasy where a witch resurrects a centuries-old con man to help defeat an evil god, only to uncover secrets about their own ill-fated past lives and . . . love.

  The Cycle always repeats itself. Why would this one have a different ending?

  The Past: Osric Hale lives, steals, and commits all his vices under the ruthless sun of Sol-Trabes. After completing corrupted contracts for good coin, he’s almost saved enough to pay for a new life somewhere else. When his last job goes wrong, he’s tasked with finding a missing Divine with a woman who hates him—or face eternity in a crypt. Everything changes when the job for a lifetime ends in the death of the Sun King. Osric loses his life, the woman he loves, and from his failure, the realm is left stuck in Night.

  The Present: Desiree Darrow needs to end the Eternal Night to stop her sister from dying under service to the Night Queen. But to do this, she needs the help of a man who died over a hundred years ago. As a Soul Summoner, she raises Osric Hale from the dead to help her find the Sun King, set his soul free, and restart the Cycle. But old betrayals and secrets are resurrected with him, challenging the path ahead.

  As the past and present converge, Des discovers a centuries-old connection between her and Osric, and an ancient evil that has endured just as long. The past repeats itself, but the Cycle must be broken. Desiree and Osric will have to face their greatest sacrifice yet to bring back the Sun.

• Heart of Ruin

  

  A.C. Arthur

  We’ve got dark academia vibes and magic (and maybe literally hell) coming at us in this book.

  The main character is apparently the last banshee who can summon the dead. And I won’t lie, I stopped reading there. I already need to have this book in my hands.

  Of course, this is coupled with someone who’s sent to eradicate all the dark magic business from the university, including said banshee, but she’s so captivating that he can’t bring himself to do it. Classic.

  Blurb

  Her voice could open the gates of hell. Now it may be the only magick that can save the city.

  To the world, Asa Morgan is a quiet, and brilliant history professor at a prestigious HBCU. Until a fight with her ex exposes her true identity. She is the last banshee, heir to a voice that can summon the dead.

  Josiah King has never failed a mission. He’s ordered to hunt down the dark caster operating on Blackmore Academy’s campus and eradicate them. Instead, he finds Asa–the woman whose voice halts his breath, threatens his oath and awakens a hunger far more dangerous than duty.

  She’s the one bounty he can’t bring himself to kill.

  Bound by fate and stalked by forces greedy for Asa’s power, she and Josiah must navigate forbidden magick, campus conspiracies, and a slow-burn connection neither can afford. Because if they fail, evil won’t only break through the gates of hell–it will burn the city down.

  Perfect for fans of dark academia, Southern gothic atmosphere, forbidden magick and slow-burn romantasy.

Sci-Fi 🛸

• Monsters of Ohio

  

  John Scalzi

  John Scalzi is back to treat us to another spectacularly weird cover. I can’t honestly say that I understand what is this about going off the blurb. But we love Scalzi for how weird he is, and if this involves octopus-like aliens in grocery stores, then I’m there for it.

  Blurb

  Monsters of Ohio is a heartfelt exploration of a tentacular solution to the struggles of the modern world from the New York Times bestselling author of Starter Villain

  Welcome to Richland, Ohio. Things aren’t great.

  The town’s biggest employer is closing shop, and Richland’s on the brink. It’s where Mike Boyd, with his own set of problems, finds himself returning to after decades away.

  He’s not planning to stay.

  But Richland has other plans for Mike, his old friend Dave, and a newcomer Andi. They’re caught in a swirl of local troubles, private equity, executive theft… and something extremely weird involving Jeremy Keller’s prize cow.

  Welcome to Richland. Leave your expectations behind. Bring a tarp.

Historical Fiction 🎩

• The Cursed Diamond

  

  Anna Rasche

  Ever since I read The Deadly Diamond by Mark Greenwood (non-fiction), I’ve found myself irresistibly drawn to any stories revolving around the Hope Diamond, which I’m assuming is the inspiration behind this one.

  I’m a sucker for history reimagined, so you betcha I’ll be wanting this bad boy on my shelves. This is dual perspective set in both 2010 and 1910, following two women who’s stories are entwined with the legacy of the “Midnight Diamond”. Say no more, pass me the book.

  Blurb

  In New York City a century apart, two women’s fates are bound by the dark legacy of the Midnight Diamond

  2010. Jennie is working as a runner in the Diamond District when a friend’s sudden death leaves her with a cryptic note: “Not Safe.” Her search for answers leads her to an antique jewelry box, a clue to a century-old mystery and the legend of the Midnight Diamond—a rare blue gem rumored to bring ruin to all who possess it. As Jennie is pulled deeper into a world of secrets and danger, she realizes she is not just chasing a lost treasure; she is uncovering a story that was meant to stay buried.

  1910. On an ocean liner bound for New York, heiress Marcella Porter returns home after being disgraced by scandal in London. Her path collides with a charismatic nobleman and the magnificent Midnight Diamond, which she unknowingly smuggles into the city. Mesmerized by its brilliance, Marcella feels an irresistible pull toward the diamond, and when the glittering façade of her charmed life begins to crack, Marcella must decide whether the Midnight Diamond is her salvation—or her doom.

  Can Jennie break the centuries-old curse before it brings more ruin? Inspired by history’s most captivating gemstone, The Cursed Diamond is a thrilling mystery about fate, obsession, and the deadly costs of ambition.

• The Last Prince of Florence

  

  Zoe Sivak

  I do own a copy of Sivak’s other historical fiction novel, and in true form, I am yet to read it. But my interested in piqued by her latest.

  This is set in 1490 and based on the true story of Alessandro de’ Medici. It is the story of a black woman who strives and plots to put her son on the throne. This is history I’m entirely unfamiliar with, but it sounds fun!

  Blurb

  Based on the true story of Alessandro de’ Medici, this sweeping novel follows a Black woman’s secret plot to put her son on a Renaissance throne.

  In 1490, a dark-skinned baby girl arrives at the Santo Spirito foundling hospital with a bronze dagger strapped to her chest. Raised by Iye, a scarred African nurse who teaches her to fight and survive, Simonetta refuses the only futures offered to foundling nun or wife.

  She has bigger plans.

  Years later, when a midnight brawl leaves exiled prince Lorenzo de’ Medici owing her his life, Simonetta talks her way into the legendary Medici family—and finds herself falling for the beloved Medici son. But her dark skin and sharp tongue make enemies, and when the family accuses her of witchcraft, she’s forced to reveal her secret she’s pregnant with a potential Medici heir.

  Alessandro’s birth should secure her place in the family. Instead, it makes her their prisoner.

  Her own ambitions thwarted, Simonetta is determined to do anything—lie, cheat, and kill—to put Alessandro on Florence’s throne. European empires feed on the growing African slave trade, and the biracial boy threatens everything her enemies believe about power, bloodlines, and Simonetta’s legacy.

  As the gulf between mother and son widens, Simonetta must choose between the crown she sacrificed everything for and the son who wears it.

• Jane Austen’s The Watsons

  

  Claudia Gray & Jane Austen

  I don’t know what to make of this, truth be told. I’m equal parts very excited and very skeptical. The Watsons is something I’m unfamiliar with, but why on earth Claudia Gray would be the choice to continue writing something Jane Austen began, I couldn’t begin to guess at (I guess because of her dalliance into Austen-inspired mysteries rather than her prowess in sci-fi/fantasy??)

  Anyway. This is a continuation of what is stated to be Austen’s famous unfinished novel. I am clearly not brushed up on my Austen history because this is news to me! I’ll let you read the blurb if it’s news to you, too. I never know how to feel about these things, when publishers get a modern author to continue a dead author’s work, but I can’t help being intrigued.

  Blurb

  From New York Times bestselling author and creator of the beloved Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney mystery series comes a continuation of Jane Austen’s famous unfinished novel.

  Jane Austen’s unsung heroine, Ada Watson, is a privileged girl living with her wealthy aunt and uncle absent any meaningful contact with her birth family. Like any Austen heroine, Ada’s life suddenly gets turned upside down—her uncle dies, and her aunt remarries unwisely, which means Ada must return to Wiltshire and rejoin the greater Watson clan. There, she becomes an object of desire for the most eligible bachelor in the county, the proud Lord Osborne…but her own fascination alights upon Mr. Howard, the local clergyman. In the 100 pages she wrote before abandoning the novel, Austen asks: can Ada afford to neglect the fortunes of her struggling family to truly follow her heart?

  But Austen—and therefore, her devoted fans—never discovered the answer, leaving Ada’s fate undefined and open to speculation. Until now, as bestselling author Claudia Gray expands Ada’s story into a vivid tale of love, sorrow, and, as in any Austen novel, the ways the two become intertwined for a young woman in Regency-era England. Transforming The Watsons from an unpolished draft into a riveting ensemble novel filled with romance, humor, and social commentary, Gray recaptures the spirit of the story Jane herself never had the chance to tell.

Mysteries 🔍

• Revenge Plot

  

  Stephanie Wrobel

  Okay, these have been done to death, but early reviews suggest this one is actually good. So of course, we have a literary thriller following an aspiring author who will stop at nothing to get the literary agent he wants. And I’m not going to lie, this actually sounds horrifying and potentially too horrifying for my taste. But we shall see.

  Blurb

  A desperate writer’s pursuit of a powerful literary agent takes a dark turn in this new novel from the internationally bestselling author of The Hitchcock Hotel and Darling Rose Gold.
  
  All Arnie Tenderton wants this Christmas—all he’s ever wanted—is to be a published author. For decades he has toiled over one novel after another. Each was missing something. Until now.

  He’s finally written his perfect book.

  What he needs next is a literary agent, someone who can get his book into publishers’ hands. Not just any agent will do, of course. Arnie wants the best. Arnie wants Claudia Conley.

  She already rejected him once, and Arnie has never forgiven her. He could move on. Instead, he finds out where Claudia is spending the alone in a remote house in the Catskill Mountains. He decides to show up there to make his pitch.

  Claudia may try to turn him down again, but this time Arnie won’t take no for an answer.

  Because his book is about her.

  And he’s not leaving until the story ends the way he wants.

Non-Fiction ✍🏻

• Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It?

  

  Judi Dench

  Delightfully, we have a memoir from Judi Dench which I imagine everyone will be interested in. Such a well-loved actor, I’d love to read more about her life and career, and so I’m looking forward to this one.

  Blurb

  Judi Dench and Brendan O’Hea chat about her life on the stage, on the screen, and, above all, behind the scenes…

  In Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It? Judi Dench and Brendan O’Hea take us on a heartfelt and hilarious tour of her extraordinary life and career. From growing up in York and being miffed at not getting the part of Mary in the school Nativity play, to playing before sold-out houses on Broadway and in London’s West End, she’s done it all. She walked the red carpets of Hollywood, turned James Bond’s M into the most astute, unflinching Head of MI6 anyone could ever have imagined, and won an Oscar, a Tony, Golden Globes, Oliviers, and BAFTAs along the way.

  Yet despite the accolades, she has been accompanied by doubt. From the movie producer who said she had “everything wrong” with her face, to the theatre director who advised her against doing sitcom. Is it any wonder she leaves a bag by the rehearsal room door in case she has to make a run for it?

  But stepping out of her comfort zone has been Judi’s guiding principle and in Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It?, she reveals all to Brendan – her friend and writing partner. She tells stories of pranks (both onstage and off), dissects her greatest screen roles, shares tales of her joyful marriage to actor Michael Williams, and talks about her passion for nature and animals.

  As told to Brendan O’Hea, this is Judi Dench’s story – funny, honest, intimate, enlightening, surprising, moving, and deeply inspiring. Over ninety years in the making, Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It? is the story of the world’s most beloved actor.