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Less than two weeks into 2026, and many of us are already questioning whether anyone checked out the terms and conditions before starting on this particular adventure. But when the real world is…well, less than great, you can always count on books to come through. And that’s what appears to be happening this year, as buzzy new releases, highly anticipated sequels, and exciting new work from established favorites will all be hitting shelves this year.
Romance and romantasy continue to power the publishing industry, offering plenty of swoon-worthy escapism from the horrors of the real world, but don’t count out genres like horror and science fiction, both of which continue to wrestle with timely, meaningful questions about our current moment and the kinds of people who have helped create it. Whether you’re looking for a cozy respite, smart social commentary, queer retellings, or just a straight-up bonkers good time, there’s truly something for everyone hitting shelves this year.
Here are 20 of the biggest books everyone should be looking forward to reading in 2026.
All the Little Houses by May Cobb
Release Date: January 20 from Sourcebooks Landmark
The latest decadent twisty thriller from the author of The Hunting Wives, All the Little Houses is possibly May Cobb’s wildest book yet. Which, you know, is kind of saying a lot. Set in a small town in East Texas during the 1980s and featuring everything from trad wives to new money elite trying to hide their poverty-stricken roots, the story follows a codependent mother-daughter duo who don’t quite fit in and whose toxic relationship is like watching a car crash. But when a religious, extremely traditional family — modest dress, wholesome hobbies, and all — arrives in town, things take a dramatic (and dangerous) turn.
A story with everything from infidelity and social climbing to love potions and murder, All the Little Houses is one of those books that feels like the guiltiest of summer pleasures in an otherwise depressing time of year.
The Wolf and the Crown of Blood by Elizabeth May
Release Date: January 27 from Aria
A steamy dark romantasy from the author of the underrated The Falconer trilogy, Elizabeth May’s The Wolf and the Crown of Blood is not a story for the weak of heart. Mixing dark fairytale vibes, gothic romance, and a series of trigger warnings, you absolutely must make sure you read before you dive in, this story of a princess who must die as a sacrifice to a storm god every 14 days so that her blood can be used to keep the world of gods and the human realm separate. But when rebellion stirs and Bryony loses Alexios’ protection, he sends an immortal assassin to take her life. If you haven’t guessed by now, that’s the furthest thing from what happens between them, you’ve clearly never read a romantasy before.
Featuring lush world-building, a heroine full of rage, a deftly executed enemies-to-lovers romance, and lots of spice, this is a fantasy romance that more than stands out from the pack.
Superfan: A Novel by Jenny Tinghui Zhang
Release Date: February 3 from Flatiron Books
A story of obsession, fandom, and how the two can intersect in both heartwarming and horrifying ways, Jenny Tinghui Zhang’s Superfan feels rather perfect for the moment we’re finding ourselves in, pop culturally speaking.
The story follows Minnie, a young woman who becomes a fan of the boy band HOURglass and becomes a regular in the forums that love them. She’s particularly attached to the group’s bad boy, Halo, and steps up to defend him when he’s enveloped in a scandal that threatens to cancel him. A story about tragedy, redemption, and the performance of self — whether we’re famous in real life or just online — its a must-read for anyone whose ever found themselves part of fandom spaces.
Queen of Faces by Petra Lord
Release Date: February 3 from Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
A thoughtfully written YA fantasy that explores identity and self-actualization in a world where the wealthy can buy and swap bodies at will, Queen of Faces is both incredibly timely and incredibly compelling.
In the nation of Caimor, it’s possible to transfer one’s consciousness into a fabricated form known as a chassis. Most citizens find even the most basic models prohibitively expensive, while the poor are stuck if their original bodies happen to contract a deadly illness. This is what happened to Annabelle Gage, a young student and aspiring mage who’s spent the better part of the last decade trapped in a deteriorating male body because it’s all her family could afford when she became terminally ill as a child. But when she’s caught trying to steal a replacement, she’s faced with an impossible choice: become an assassin for the head of an elite magical academy or face death in her decaying body. Sophisticated characters, intersectional storytelling, and plenty of twists keep the pages flying.
Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett
Release Date: February 17 from Del Ray
For those who are already aching to escape the…well, everything, of 2026, look no further than the year’s ultimate cozy fantasy from the author of the (also excellent) Emily Wilde series. Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter is pretty much exactly what it says on the tin, an endlessly warm and charming story about a woman who runs a cat rescue in an alternate version of 1920s Montreal and must seek out the help of a grouchy magician who almost ended the world to help save her shelter.
Yes, you can absolutely guess what happens next simply by reading the synopsis, but its cozy predictability is a big part of the fun. A love letter to the complicated relationship between humans and cats, as well as a gentle and super satisfying slow burn love story, this is the book to chase away your winter blues.
The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan
Release Date: February 24 from Tor Books
Cameron Sullivan’s debut is one part alternate historical fiction, one part horror story, and one part dark fantasy. An ambitious retelling of the legend of the Beast of Gévaudan, The Red Winter is set in the 18h century, just before the French Revolution. It follows the story of an immortal monster slayer, the demon who shares his body, and the ex-lover he has a devastating history with as they’re drawn back into the hunt for a legendary (and deadly) creature. And it includes everything from demons and sorcery to a brewing revolution, ancient gods, and a surprisingly nifty twist on Joan of Arc.
A sprawling epic that boasts deft plotting, a complex grasp of both history and mythology, and a sly, biting sense of humor, The Red Winter is gruesome, fascinating, and darkly romantic by turns.
Nowhere Burning by Catriona Ward
Release Date: February 24 from Tor Nightfire
A Gothic horror novel that’s basically Peter Pan meets Lord of the Flies, Nowhere Burning is the latest tale from the always excellent Catriona Ward, author of such bangers as The Last House on Needless Street and Looking Glass Sound. A horror writer whose stories are usually more about psychological fears and atmospheric vibes than outright gore, Ward’s Nowhere Burning follows a pair of siblings who flee an abusive home only to discover something much darker during their escape.
In the unforgiving landscape of the Rocky Mountains, they discover an abandoned ranch known as Nowhere, now a hideout for runaways and populated by a feral pack of disturbing (and deeply disturbed) teens. (Shades of Yellowjackets, anyone?) But as a chain of secrets and consequences unravel, they’ll discover ghosts of many sorts haunt this alleged safe haven.
Hell’s Heart by Alexis Hall
Release Date: March 10 from Tor Books
The science fiction debut from romance author Alexis Hall — best known for titles like Boyfriend Material and Roasline Palmer Takes the Cake — Hell’s Heart is a retelling of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick like you’ve never seen before. Set in a retro-futuristic solar system where humanity hunts giant space monsters known as Leviathans to harvest a hallucinogenic substance that is now its only source of fuel, the story follows a female narrator as she boards the Pequod and becomes enmeshed in the story of a genderbent Ahab and Ishmael.
Steampunk and dark fantasy elements mark a real swerve for Hall as a storyteller, and Hell’s Heart’s grim, dystopian worldbuilding is fascinating to watch unfold. One of the year’s weirdest and wildest titles.
Innamorata by Ava Reid
Release Date: March 17 from Del Ray
Author Ava Reid’s works — The Wolf and the Woodsman, Lady Macbeth, Juniper and Thorn — have long wrestled with dark themes and adult subject matter, but it sounds as though her next offering will take things to the next level. The first installment in her House of Teeth duology, Innamorata is described as a grimdark gothic fantasy about necromancy, vengeance, and soul-consuming love.
It follows the story of Lady Agnes, heir to a fallen house of eldritch magic, who must betroth her beloved cousin to a conqueror’s son for a chance at reclaiming her family’s lost power. But when she herself is unexpectedly drawn into a forbidden passion with the prince, she must decide between duty and desire.
Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher
Release Date: March 24 from Tor Nightfire
Alongside her popular fantasy offerings like Swordheart, A Sorceress Comes to Call, and Hemlock & Silver, T. Kingfisher is also quite a prolific horror writer. Her Fall of the House of Usher-tinged Sworn Soldier series is a masterpiece of literary body horror, while her recent Snake-Eater told the story of a vengeful god in a remote U.S. desert. With Wolf Worm, Kingfisher takes us to the dark North Carolina woods of 1885 for her most visceral effort yet.
Full of immaculate Southern Gothic vibes and lush atmosphere, the story follows a talented scientific illustrator who is left without work following her father’s death. (Let’s face it, the late 19th century wasn’t exactly welcoming to the idea of women in the sciences.) So when a reclusive doctor offers her a position painting his collection of insects, she leaps at the chance. What she doesn’t realize is thre are creepier and darker things than bugs in the Carolina forest, where the devil is rumored to walk at night, and a rash of disturbing killings lurks in its history.
The Curse of Hester Gardens by Tamika Thompson
Release Date: March 31 from Erewhon Books
A haunted house story with a real-world twist, The Curse of Hester Gardens is as much about the horrors we face every day as it is the terrors of the supernatural. The ghosts that haunt the titular public housing project are uncanny and frightening, but equally as terrifying is the specter of gun violence that haunts its residents, by the seemingly unending cycle of poverty that keeps them trapped within a system that they can’t escape.
The story follows single mother Nona, who has already lost a husband to prison and a son to violence and is determined to keep her other children safe. But when strange and otherworldly occurrences start happening all around the community, she’s left wondering not only whether she can keep her kids safe, but whether they’re being forced to pay for the sins of her own past.
The Fourth Wife by Linda Hamilton
Release Date: March 31 from Kensington Books
Described as The Hacienda meets Sister Wives, this feminist Gothic horror story mixes little-known Mormon folklore with stories from author Linda Hamilton’s own polygamous ancestors. Set during the late 19nth century in the Utah territory, The Fourth Wife follows the story of young Hazel, who dreams of a life of the sort of monogamy and freedom she’s forbidden by the Mormon church. She knows such things are sinful, so when she’s ordered to become the fourth wife of a man she’s never met, she submits to her calling as a sister wife in the name of saving her immortal soul.
Life in her new husband’s decrepit Salt Lake City mansion — where all his wives and children live under one roof — is not precisely what she expected. Her fellow sister wives resent her and keep secrets, she’s having terrible nightmares, and suddenly sees strange apparitions that fill the halls with music and make the walls run blood. Defly blending paranormal and psychological horror with religious trauma, it’s a story that makes you wonder who the real monsters are throughout.
Platform Decay by Martha Wells
Release Date: May 5 from Tor Books
The eighth installment of Martha Wells’s wildly popular Murderbot Diaries series arrives this spring — and if you haven’t sampled the Apple TV+ adaptation, please consider this a plea to fix your life immediately — and dives further into the emotional evolution of everyone’s favorite SecUnit, with plenty of snide commentary and awkward interactions on top.
When things go badly awry on a rescue mission involving several of Dr. Mensah’s family members, Murderbot finds itself in unforeseen circumstances, responsible for a bunch of humans it doesn’t know, including multiple human children. Regular readers of the series know this is brand new territory for it, and with the addition of a new mental health module complicating everything, we’re primed to see just how far SecUnit has really come since its first adventure.
Broken Dove by Dani Francis
Release Date: May 12 from Del Ray
The sequel to one of last year’s buzziest romantasy releases, this follow-up to Silver Elite promises even more dystopian world-building, complicated plot twists, buried secrets, and steamy romance.
Having blown her cover as a double agent in the Silver Elite squad, Wren Darlington has fled the Prime-controlled capital to resistance-controlled territory, leaving her lover and former commander, Cross, to keep up his own double life under the thumb of his father’s rule. But as the war between the Mods and the Primes escalates further, she’ll have to decide what she’s truly fighting for — and what she’s willing to lose to win.
The Tapestry of Fate by Shannon Chakraborty
Release Date: May 19 from Harper Voyager
The highly anticipated sequel to Shannon Chakraborty’s The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, this follow-up returns us to the world of semi-retired pirate legend Amina al-Sirafi, a middle-aged woman who thought her days of sailing the high seas were behind her. (Narrator voice: They were very much not.) This second set of adventures sees Amina charged with a seemingly impossible task: Steal a spindle capable of rewriting fate from a mysterious sorceress who lives on an island no one can escape.
Chakraborty’s first installment in this series was refreshingly unlike almost anything else in the fantasy space, featuring immersively detailed world-building, an assortment of intriguingly oddball side characters with complex relationships that predate the interactions we saw on the page, and a heroine whose lived experiences include plenty of mistakes, flaws, and choices she’d do over if she could. Wherever this adventure takes us next will surely be worth it.
The Midnight Train by Matt Haig
Release Date: May 24 from Viking
Matt Haig returns to the world of his bestselling The Midnight Library for this time-traveling love story about a train that allows you to relive the past after you die. The Midnight Train follows Wilbur, an eighty-year-old who climbs aboard to revisit the junctures in his life that made him who he is — particularly his honeymoon with his beloved Maggie, before their relationship fell apart — and forces him to face the choices and regrets he accumulated along the way.
When your life flashes before your eyes, where would you stop? And if you had the chance to make different choices, would you take the risk to do so?
Land: A Novel By Maggie O’Farrell
Release Date: June 2 from Knopf
As the debate rages about how well Hamnet will fare during this year’s awards season, book lovers are already gearing up for author Maggie O’Farrell’s next novel, a sweeping historical story of Irish history and resilience. Titled Land, it is set in Ireland in the years before and after the Great Hunger.
The immersive and poignant story follows Tomás, charged with making a map of Ireland around the time of the country’s Great Famine in the mid-19th century, whose life is changed forever following an unsettling encounter in a mysterious copse. Infused with history and brimming with folklore and magic, Land spans multiple POVs and generations, the story of both a family and the place they eventually come to call their own. Bring tissues.
Foundling Fathers by Meg Ellison
Release Date: June 23 from Tachyon Publications
We’re living through a moment where some of the craziest science fiction ideas suddenly don’t seem so far fetched anymore, thanks to things like AI, surveillance tech, and the ubiquity of smartphones. (Plus, a billionaire class that keeps launching products with names like Palantir and Sauron. Read the room, guys!) That’s the basic idea behind Meg Ellison’s Foundling Fathers, a scathing takedown of billionaire culture that sees a shadow right wing cabal clone the Founding Fathers in the name of returning America to its original glory.
But when the cloned teenage version of Benjamin Franklin accidentally discovers a smartphone on the isolated island where they’re all being raised like it’s 1750, history and the future collide in unforeseen ways.
Reliquary by Hannah Whitten
Release Date: August 11 from Orbit
Author Hannah Whitten is best known for her lush fantasy books like For the Wolf and The Foxglove King, but she’s set to make her horror debut with the creepy (and equally sumptuous-looking) Reliquary.
The story follows a woman grieving the sudden death of her fiancé, who had more than his fair share of secrets, not to mention a truly bizarre aversion to the ocean. But when she’s lured to his family’s remote island estate to attend his wake, she’ll find much more than she bargained for, from eerie family secrets to a monstrous hunger stirring beneath the sea.
The Knave and the Moon by Rachel Gillig
Release Date: September 1 from Orbit
The follow-up to last year’s outstanding Gothic fantasy, The Knight and the Moth, The Knave and the Moon, promises higher stakes, darker mysteries, and deeper longings. The story essentially picks up where its predecessor left off, with ex-Diviner Sybill forced into a marriage not of her choosing and Rory Myndacious, Maude Bauer, and Bartholomew the gargoyle missing and rumored to be dead.
But when the new King of Traum, Benji, decides to throw a series of tournaments to display his newfound power over the kingdom, the arrival of a mysterious knave with no memory who rises to the top of the list may be the key to his undoing — and Sybil’s chance to vanquish him.
The post The Most Anticipated Books of 2026: Fantasy, Romantasy, Horror Sci-Fi, Sequels, and More appeared first on Den of Geek.
