Escape into worlds where magic flows like rivers and heroes forge legends with every step. Whether you’re seeking epic quests across mystical realms or intimate tales of wonder, fantasy literature offers boundless adventures waiting to unfold. From timeless classics to modern masterpieces, these must-read fantasy books will transport you beyond the ordinary into realms where anything is possible.
Your Next Favourite Fantasy and Sci-Fi Read
A War of Wyverns
9780008652326 | HarperFire | TPB
S.F. Williamson
Vivien Featherswallow has uncovered the secret language of dragons. Now can she use it to end a war?
The extraordinary sequel to the instant #1 Sunday Times Bestseller, A Language of Dragons
Vivien Featherswallow has translated a secret language of dragons – sparking an all-out civil war, with dragons and humans fighting on both sides, in the process.
And after defeating Prime Minister Wyvernmire and escaping Bletchley Park, Vivien has become the reluctant face of the rebellion – and been labelled the most wanted criminal in Britain. But what good is a rebel who must remain in hiding, powerless to help her friends?
Unsure of her purpose, and torn with doubt about the life she thought she was meant to lead, Vivien travels to the remote Scottish Isles to find a mysterious, long-forgotten species of dragon – one which might hold the key to ending the war… forever.
An epic, sweeping, unputdownable fantasy, A War of Wyverns is the unmissable sequel to the instant #1 Sunday Times Bestseller, A Language of Dragons.
Godstorm
9781835012604 | Bedford Square Publishers | TPB
Solitaire Townsend
A Female Gladiator’s Vow. A Stolen Child. A Storm to End Empires
In an oil-fuelled Roman Empire which never fell, Arrow – a gladiatrix turned governess – must rescue Livy, the child she never meant to love, a girl who could tear down the world.
When Livy is abducted during a devastating Godstorm, Arrow must unleash years of the gladiator training she’d sworn to forget in order to save her. Defying her owner, a heartless Consul, Arrow turns to her ex-lover and the illegal druid underworld in a desperate attempt to rescue the girl she has tried not to think of as her own.
Her search will take her across Londinium, a city of petrol-powered chariots, to the pagan Old Town, and eventually the edge of the known world: the Amazon, where destiny and destruction intertwine.
Facing battle and betrayal Arrow must choose: reclaim her past as a killer—or risk everything for the child who might call her ‘mother.’
She is the Sword.
The Poet Empress
9781399628976 | Gollancz | TPB
Shen Tao
TO KILL A MONSTER, SHE MUST BECOME ONE . . .
As the emperor lays dying, the once-great Azalea Dynasty plunges towards civil war. While its princes plot for power, a more hidden war – to become the next empress – occupies the imperial court.
Wei Yin – peasant girl turned concubine to the cruel Prince Terren – has already endured unimaginable suffering. Ripped from her family, she has no title, no allies, and no escape. But she does have a secret . . .
In the shadows of the palace, surrounded by enemies, she is learning a skill forbidden to women. Because when words are weapons and poetry holds an ancient magic, the fate of a girl – and a nation – can both be rewritten. All she has to do is compose the perfect poem – a tale so powerful, it can kill any man, even the next emperor.
The epic political arena of The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang meets the intimate tragedy and luscious language of The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller in this sensational debut novel by visionary new talent Shen Tao, unmissable for die-hard genre fans as well as readers of literary fiction looking to make their first foray into fantasy.
The Dark Mirror
9781408879368 | Bloomsbury Archer | PB
Samantha Shannon
Everything is about to change.
Paige Mahoney is outside the Republic of Scion for the first time in more than a decade – but she has no idea how she got to the free world. Half a year has been wiped from her memory.
As she makes her way back to the revolution, her journey takes her to Venice, where she learns a dangerous secret – one that could change the face of the war between humans and immortals. Before she can return to London, she must help the Domino Programme unravel the sinister Operation Ventriloquist.
And it soon becomes clear that the one person who could recover her memories – Arcturus Mesarthim – might also hold the key to saving Italy.
Lyrical, touching and action-packed, The Dark Mirror drives the bestselling Bone Season series forward, showing Samantha Shannon at the height of her powers.
Dragon Cursed
9781399740036 | Hodderscape | TPB
Elise Kova
From the #1 Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of Arcana Academy comes the first in a new, heart-pounding fantasy duology, about a young woman who must survive a score of brutal tests and trials to escape her cursed fate.
The moment you see a dragon is usually your last…
Since the dragons emerged – along with the scourge that ravaged our lands and people – there’s only one human city that remains standing: Vingard.
But the hellfire from above is nothing compared to the threat from within. For there is no worse fate than being Dragon Cursed. Slowly and excruciatingly, you’ll be transformed into a mindless beast who destroys everything – and everyone – you love.
Any of us could be tainted. Any of us could be lying. Any of us could be caught and killed by the authorities. And I’m terrified that I might be next.
There’s only one other person who might suspect my secret. He’s like my shadow, following me wherever I go. Part protector, part tormentor, fully annoying. Sometimes I think I am just one of the million unfathomable secrets he keeps hidden.
Because Lucan definitely knows something.
And if I’m Dragon Cursed, death might be the only mercy I get.
Sparking Fire Out of Fate
9781526681003 | Bloomsbury YA | BPB
Brigid Kemmerer
Broken loyalties. Uncertain fates. Two kingdoms hanging in the balance … The exhilarating finale in bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer’s Forging Silver series will leave readers breathless!
Callyn has grown closer to Queen Lia Mara in Syhl Shallow, bonded by the secret magic they share. But their magic can stay hidden only so long, especially when a dangerous plot on the Queen’s life forces Callyn to work with the man who betrayed her.
In Emberfall, Tycho and Jax are struggling to rebuild their connection after months apart, complicated when they learn of Truthbringers causing trouble at the borders. Sent to investigate together, Jax and Tycho soon discover that the rebellious faction has formed a devil’s bargain with the magical scravers to destroy human magic once and for all.
When their missions bring them together, Tycho, Jax, and Callyn find themselves facing threats from all sides. With one last chance to save their magic and their kingdoms, they must work together, or lose everything.
War has erupted. Love is tested. And without sacrifice, magic could destroy everyone …
Tidespeaker
9781836431237 | Rock the Boat | BPB
Sadie Turner
A salt-tinged Gothic fantasy romance for fans of A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid and House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig.
Corith Fraine has the power to control water with her words.
Corith has spent much of her life in an elite magic institution, training to serve one of the realm’s noble households. When she secures a post with House Shearwater, an aristocratic family living on a wave-battered island, she feels honoured. Until she discovers that her predecessor drowned in mysterious circumstances.
To avoid the same fate, Corith must harness the wild, unforgiving tides and cater to the whims of the enigmatic Shearwater siblings. But as she starts to unravel their secrets, she finds herself drawn to the brooding youngest brother, Llir.
With her loyalties pushed to breaking point, these treacherous waters may just pull Corith under…
The Charmed Library
9781400343669 | Harper Muse | TPB
Jennifer Moorman
With her signature blend of magical and heartfelt storytelling, USA TODAY bestselling author Jennifer Moorman returns with The Charmed Library, a love letter to libraries, favorite childhood stories, and readers who have fallen for fictional heroes.
Like many other public libraries, the one in Blue Sky Valley, North Carolina, is a haven for readers. But it’s also unlike any other. In this library, fictional characters step off the page into real life. Assistant librarian Stella Parker has no idea. Still reeling from her father’s death and–more recently–a breakup, she hasn’t noticed. All she knows is she’s stuck in a job she’s overqualified for and stumped about what to do with her life.
Everything changes when she burns her beloved journal.
Words matter to Stella. For as long as she can remember, she’s seen them. Words appear–in varying colors and fonts–rising from surfaces, bouncing over objects, and even wiggling out of people. Words give her insight into emotions and untold stories. But the words change for Stella after she burns her journal. Suddenly they’re demanding, urgent–and painful.
Then Stella stumbles upon strange characters in the library after hours. One is an oddly familiar World War II soldier who introduces himself as Jack–Jack Mathis, the main character from her favorite book. A fictional hero and Stella’s first crush. Standing in front of her in the flesh.
Jack tells Stella about the magic hidden in the library. Skeptical, Stella rashly invites a villain to visit, and chaos ensues. As she discovers the importance of protecting the library’s secret and gets to know the real Jack, words continue to appear. What are they trying to tell her?
Much too quickly, Stella is faced with the reality that all stories must end, and magic comes at a price. The characters who visit the library can only stay for fourteen days. And Jack’s time is almost up.
A cozy, Hallmark-esque rom-com, The Charmed Library invites readers to escape to a world where words come alive and book boyfriends leap off the page.
The Swan’s Daughter
9781399717571 | Hodderscape | TPB
Roshani Chokshi
Get swept away by bestselling sensation, Roshani Chokshi’s new fantasy standalone brimming with cursed love.
Prince Arris knows that marriage means murder. After poorly wording a wish to a sea witch, all one needs to rule the Isle of Malys is the heart and hand in marriage of the kingdom’s heir. Thus, Arris expects that the day of his marriage will be the one of his murdering. His only chance at a long life is finding true and lasting love.
When Arris’s parents announce a tournament of brides to compete for the throne, a slew of eligible, lovely and (possibly murderous) bachelorettes make their way to Rathe Castle. But Arris cannot tell who is here out of love for him . . . or lust for power.
Until he meets Demelza. As a veritas swan, Demelza’s song wrings out the truth. Forced into hiding, Demelza strikes a deal. Arris will provide her with safekeeping in exchange for her truth-telling song to sort through his potential brides.
While Arris is used to dodging death threats and Demelza is accustomed to fighting for her voice to be heard, to survive the tournament of brides requires a different kind of bravery. And perhaps the bravest thing one can do is not merely protect one’s life but find the courage to chase a life worth living.
Tropes
Fairy tale
Ballroom dance
Enchantments and spells
Star Crossed romance
Proximity
Graceless Heart
9781399742696 | Bloomsbury YA | BPB
Isabel Ibañez
A lush, atmospheric and achingly magical standalone adult fantasy romance set in Renaissance Italy from a #1 New York Times bestselling author.
In 15th-century Volterra, sculptress Ravenna Maffei enters a competition hosted by a secretive, immortal family who offer an invaluable boon to the victor. Desperate to win so she can save her brother, Ravenna reveals a rare magical talent-a dangerous act in a city where magic is forbidden. Her revelation makes her a target, and she is kidnapped by the Luni family and taken to Florence, a city of breathtaking beauty and cutthroat ambition.
There, Ravenna is forced into an impossible task where failure means certain death at the hands of Saturnino dei Luni, the family’s enigmatic and merciless heir. But under his cold reserve hides a vulnerability that draws her closer than she ever intended.
Meanwhile, Ravenna’s forbidden magic does not go unnoticed. The Pope, waging war against Florence, the Medici, and magic itself, has his own interest in her abilities, seeing her as a potential weapon in his ruthless campaign.
As alliances shift and war brews on the horizon, Ravenna must navigate the treacherous line between survival and betrayal, between love and duty. With time running out and her every move watched, thce choices she makes will determine the fate of not just her own life, but the fragile balance of magic and power that could unravel Florence itself.
TROPES TO DIE FOR . . .
enemies-to-lovers
slow-burn
magic vs religion
political intrigue
