Five fantasy books to discover in 2026 so far

Fantasy offers more than one kind of escape. Sometimes it asks us to solve a crime; sometimes to survive a palace; sometimes to imagine what we would do if the characters in a favourite book suddenly needed our help. These five releases put those possibilities side by side.

Our selection brings together novels first published in English between January and September 2026. The order follows five different reading moods, rather than a scored ranking. We have checked publication details and premises against publishers and authors; this is a discovery guide, not a set of reviews based on completed reading. The cutoff is 9 September 2026.

1. Rites of the Starling — Devney Perry

For readers drawn to dangerous journeys, romantic separation and a heroine taking control of her future.

The second book in Shield of Sparrows sends its princess across a cursed realm while Calandra's five kingdoms face a gathering catastrophe. Separated from the man she loves, she must protect a young girl, navigate a landscape of monsters and discover how the secrets of her family connect to the danger around her.

What makes this premise worth considering is the collision between a public role and a private self. Queen, protector, sacrifice: each identity carries obligations, but none automatically answers the question of who she wants to become. The romantic stakes sit alongside a journey with consequences for an entire realm.

Why we selected it: it represents the adventurous end of romantasy, where longing shares the stage with travel, mythology and survival. Choose it when you want the relationship and the fantasy conflict to pull in the same direction.

Where to start: read Shield of Sparrows first. This is a continuation, not a standalone introduction. Original publication: 7 April 2026.

Explore the book · View on Amazon

2. A Trade of Blood — Robert Jackson Bennett

For readers who would rather examine a clue than watch another army assemble.

Ana Dolabra and her assistant Dinios Kol return for their third investigation. An heir to a powerful family has been found with blood on his hands and cannot explain what happened. His execution could ignite a conflict in the agricultural canton of Sapirdad, putting the Empire's food supply at risk.

The appeal of that setup is how quickly a seemingly contained murder reaches into the workings of a whole society. Food production, political influence and an ancient weapon all matter to the case. The fantasy world is part of the puzzle: understanding how it operates is necessary to understand the crime.

Why we selected it: this is the mystery route through our selection, with a practical question behind the grand stakes. What would count as evidence in a world whose biology and technology differ from our own?

Where to start: the publication order is The Tainted Cup, A Drop of Corruption, then A Trade of Blood. Begin with the first to follow Ana and Din's developing partnership. Original publication: 4 August 2026.

Explore the book · View on Amazon

3. This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me — Ilona Andrews

For portal-fantasy readers and anyone who has wanted to intervene in a favourite story.

Maggie wakes in Kair Toren, a city she knows from an unfinished fantasy series. She remembers the rivalries, the characters and the terrible events waiting for them. She also discovers that she cannot be killed. The people she meets have no such protection.

That difference gives the premise its tension. Surviving an attack is one thing; saving someone else from a fate you have already read is another. As Maggie becomes involved, knowledge of the plot may be less useful than her ability to respond to people whose lives are now real to her.

Why we selected it: it turns the reader's familiar urge to change an ending into an epic-fantasy problem. The author duo explicitly describes the book as epic fantasy with a romantic arc, which is a useful guide to expectations.

Where to start: here. It opens Maggie the Undying, so no earlier Ilona Andrews series is required. Original publication: 31 March 2026.

Explore the book · View on Amazon

4. The Poet Empress — Shen Tao

For readers interested in court politics and magic that shapes who is allowed to hold power.

In the Azalea Dynasty, poetry can wield magic, but women are forbidden to read. Facing starvation at home, Wei Yin enters the household of a cruel prince as a concubine. Survival in the palace will require her to learn, in secret, the very skill denied to her.

The premise brings its political and magical conflicts unusually close together. Restricting literacy also restricts access to a weapon. A lesson in reading can become an act of defiance, while composing a poem may have consequences far beyond the page.

Why we selected it: this is the court-intrigue choice, built around the cost of acquiring power inside an oppressive system. The question is not only whether Wei can escape danger, but what learning to use that system might demand of her.

Where to start: this standalone debut needs no preparation. Its publisher identifies dark themes; approach it as a harsh political fantasy rather than a comforting palace romance. Original publication: 20 January 2026.

Explore the book · View on Amazon

5. The Knave and the Moon — Rachel Gillig

For readers who want gothic fantasy, uncertain identities and a kingdom held together by faith and stories.

The sequel to The Knight and the Moth returns to the Stonewater Kingdom. Its official synopsis reveals significant consequences of the first book, so we will keep the setup broad: Sybil faces a new struggle for freedom while a king uses tournaments to strengthen his rule. A nameless competitor with no memory may upset his plans.

This is the selection's most explicitly gothic direction. Religious authority, ritual and the stories a kingdom tells about itself provide the frame for its romantic and political tensions. A tournament can be a spectacle of power, but it can also give an unexpected challenger a stage.

Why we selected it: its premise brings together the intimacy of a captive character's choices and a wider challenge to a kingdom's beliefs. It is also the most recent original release in this selection.

Where to start: read The Knight and the Moth before opening the detailed synopsis of this sequel. Original publication: 1 September 2026.

Explore the book · View on Amazon