Looking for your next fantasy obsession? Whether you're a devoted romantasy reader, a fan of dark fae courts, or searching for cosy fantasy with slow-burn romance, we've rounded up five of the most exciting fantasy books making waves right now. From Welsh mythology retellings to dimension-hopping adventures, these trending titles deserve a spot on your TBR.
King of Ravens by Clare Sager
If you loved A Court of Thorns and Roses and can't get enough of Hades and Persephone retellings, Clare Sager's latest romantasy is calling your name. This lush dark fae fantasy follows Rhiannon, a young woman battling a mysterious chronic illness, who finds her life upended when a cold, cruel Fae King of the Dead arrives to collect on a bargain her family made years ago. Whisked away to a perilous unseelie court filled with withered gods and scheming courtiers, Rhiannon must navigate a deadly labyrinth, political intrigue, and her growing connection to the infuriating king who holds her fate in his hands.
Why You Should Read It:
Perfect for fans of The Serpent and the Wings of Night and Kingdom of the Wicked
Stunning Welsh mythology-inspired world-building
Delicious enemies-to-lovers and arranged marriage tropes
A morally grey hero who's genuinely complex
Chronic illness representation with a 30+ heroine
Slow-burn romance with steamy tension
Voidwalker by S.A. MacLean
From the author of the Sunday Times bestselling The Phoenix Keeper comes an epic new romantasy that's being described as spicy romantasy meets the Cosmere. Fionamara is a smuggler who ferries contraband between fractured worlds, keeping her village free from the blood sacrifices humans have paid to flesh-devouring immortals for centuries. When a heist goes catastrophically wrong, Fi finds herself thrown at the feet of Antal, a daeyari lord; carnivorous, immortal, and furious. What begins as a desperate bid for survival evolves into an unlikely alliance, a revolution, and perhaps something far more dangerous.
Why You Should Read It:
Monster romance done brilliantly - for fans of creature romances and morally complex love interests
World-building scale comparable to Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros
Bisexual representation with a sassy, competent heroine
Unique magic system blending science with blood magic
Political intrigue and high-stakes plotting
Brilliant banter and slow-burn tension
The Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso
For readers craving something fresh and inventive, this reality-bending fantasy adventure delivers in spades. Kembral Thorne is a star investigator and new mother who just wants a few hours off at a year-turning party. But when people start dropping dead and mysterious forces plunge the entire gathering through layers of reality into nightmare, her night off takes a terrifying turn. Each layer down brings stranger dangers; from negotiable natural laws to creatures with eyes in their teeth. To survive, Kem must team up with her compelling nemesis, notorious cat burglar Rika Nonesuch.
Why You Should Read It:
Time loop meets multiverse fantasy; utterly unique concept
Sapphic rivals-to-lovers romance with brilliant banter
Working mother representation; rare and refreshing in fantasy
Agatha Christie-style mystery with fantasy elements
Incredibly inventive magic system and world rules
Perfect for fans of puzzle adventures and high-stakes action
Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy
If you're after cosy fantasy with a deliciously slow-burn queer romance, this Sunday Times bestselling debut is pure magic. Leovander Loveage is a master of small magics; summoning butterflies, turning hair pink; but anything more powerful always blows up in his face. When a mishap with forbidden magic binds him to obey the commands of his long-time rival, the insufferable Sebastian Grimm, the two must venture into the dangerous Unquiet Wood to find a counterspell. As they navigate murderous monsters and uncover the true depths of Leo's abilities, they might just discover that magic isn't the only thing pulling them together.
Why You Should Read It:
Perfect for fans of Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries and Legends & Lattes
M/M enemies-to-lovers with exceptional slow-burn tension
Unique music-based magic system (the hero plays violin!)
Ghibli-esque whimsical atmosphere
Witty banter and genuinely funny moments
Cosy academia vibes with just the right amount of danger
The Hollow and the Haunted by Camilla Raines
For YA fantasy readers who loved The Raven Cycle and Cemetery Boys, this atmospheric debut is an absolute must-read. Miles Warren comes from a long line of psychics; wrangling ghosts and dealing with visions is just the family business. But when he starts having premonitions of Gabriel Hawthorne's death, things get complicated. The Hawthornes and Warrens have been feuding for decades, and Gabriel is everything Miles should hate: brooding, distant, and cold. Yet as they work together to prevent the prophecy, Miles discovers there might be a sweet boy hiding beneath all those layers; and dark family secrets that could destroy them both.
Why You Should Read It:
Atmospheric Pacific Northwest setting with gothic vibes
M/M rivals-to-lovers with grumpy/sunshine dynamics
Ghosts, psychics, and family feuds; perfect for paranormal fans
Excellent LGBTQ+ representation with authentic mental health themes
Heartwarming family dynamics alongside the mystery
Delightful banter and slow-burn romantic tension
Find Your Next Fantasy Obsession
Whether you're searching for dark fae romantasy, cosy fantasy with queer romance, paranormal YA, or something completely unique, these five trending fantasy books offer something special. From Welsh mythology to dimension-hopping adventures, monster romances to psychic family drama, each title brings fresh storytelling to the fantasy genre. Add them to your reading list and discover your next favourite read.
Trending fantasy books 2026 • Best romantasy books • Books like Fourth Wing • Books like ACOTAR • Dark fae romance books • Enemies to lovers fantasy • Slow burn fantasy romance • Cosy fantasy recommendations • Queer fantasy books • YA paranormal romance • Monster romance books • Hades and Persephone retellings • BookTok fantasy recommendations
Books Featured in This Article
King of Ravens
by Clare Sager
Clare Sager presents an all-new dark, lush romantasy set in the world of the Sabreverse.
Voidwalker
by S. A. Maclean
From the author of The Phoenix Keeper comes an era-defining new fantasy universe where spicy romantasy meets the Cosmere, unmissable for fans of the world-building scale of Sarah J. Maas and the world-shifting stakes of Rebecca Yarros. Voidwalker will be your next romantasy obsession, a deliciously feral story that starts with just two words: "bite me." Fionamara is a smuggler. Antal is the reason her people fear the dark. Fi ferries contraband between worlds, stockpiling funds and stolen magic to keep her village self-sufficient - free from the blood sacrifices humans have paid to Antal's immortal species for centuries. Only legends whispered through the pine forests recall a time when things were different, before one world shattered into many, and the flesh-devouring beasts crept from the cracks between realities, with their sable antlers and slender tails, lethal claws and gleaming fangs. Now, mortal lives are food to pacify their carnivorous overlords, exchanged for feudal protection, and the precious silver energy that fuels everything from transport to weaponry. When Fi gets planted with a stash of smuggled energy, a long-lost flame recruits her for a reckless heist that escalates into a terrorist bombing - and a coup against the reigning immortals, with Fi's home caught in the crossfire. She's always known the dangers of her trade - and of the power she's wielded since childhood, allowing her to see the secret doors between dimensions, to walk the Void itself. But nothing could have prepared her for crossing paths with Antal. For the deal she'll have to make with him, a forced partnership to reclaim his city that begins as a desperate bid for survival, only to grow into something far more dangerous. A revolution. And a temptation - for how sweet the monster's fangs might feel.
The Last Hour Between Worlds
by Melissa Caruso
A whip-smart adventure fantasy packed with reality-bending magic, and sapphic romance, The Last Hour Between Worlds is the brilliant launch of a new series from David Gemmell Award-nominated author Melissa Caruso. In the Deep Echoes, no one can save you. Star investigator Kembral Thorne has a few hours away from her newborn, and she just wants to relax and enjoy the year-turning party. But when people start dropping dead, she's got to get to work. Especially when she finds that mysterious forces are plunging the whole party down through layers of reality and into nightmare. One layer down: It's no big deal. Stay alert, and you'll be fine. Two, three layers down: Natural laws are negotiable, and things get very strange. Four layers down: There are creatures with eyes in their teeth and walls that drip blood. Most people who fall this far never return. Luckily, Kem isn't most people. But as cosmic powers align and the hour grows late, she'll have to work with her awfully compelling nemesis, notorious cat burglar Rika Nonesuch, for a chance to save her city--though not her night off. For more from Melissa Caruso, check out: Swords and Fire The Tethered Mage The Defiant Heir The Unbound Empire Rooks and Ruin The Obsidian Tower The Quicksilver Court The Ivory Tomb
Sorcery and Small Magics
by Maiga Doocy
From debut author Maiga Doocy comes the charming tale of an impulsive sorcerer and his curmudgeonly rival as they venture deep into a magical forest in search of a counterspell that can break the curse between them--only to discover that magic might not be the only thing pulling them together. Leovander Loveage is a master of small magics. He can summon butterflies with a song or turn someone's hair pink by snapping his fingers. Though such minor charms don't earn him much respect, anything more elaborate always blows up in his face, and so Leo vowed long ago never to use powerful magic again. That is, until a mishap with a forbidden spell binds Leo to obey the commands of his longtime rival, Sebastian Grimm. Grimm is Leo's complete opposite--respected, exceptionally talented, and absolutely insufferable. The only thing they can agree on is that revealing the curse between them would mean the end of their respective magical careers. They need a counterspell, and fast. Chasing rumors of a powerful sorcerer with a knack for undoing curses, Leo and Grimm enter the Unquiet Wood, a forest infested with murderous monsters and dangerous outlaws alike. To break the curse, they will have to uncover the true depths of Leo's magic, set aside their long-standing rivalry, and--much to their horror--work together. Even as an odd spark of attraction flares between them.
The Hollow and the Haunted
by Camilla Raines
In this darkly magical fantasy debut set in Washington State, a closeted teenage psychic foresees the death of his sworn enemy, and is forced to work with him to save his life. Sparks fly, but some ghosts don't want to stay buried...Perfect for fans of atmospheric queer fantasy romance, including The Raven Cycle, Cemetery Boys and Sixteen Souls.Miles Warren hails from a long line of psychics. Resigned to a life in the family business, Miles is perfectly happy, thank you very much. Apart from the fact he hasn't told anyone he's gay, and that he's constantly exhausted from long nights spent wrangling angry ghosts in creepy cemeteries. Perfectly happy. But Miles's comfortable routine is interrupted when he starts having visions of an unfamiliar boy. He soon learns the stranger is Gabriel Hawthorne, whose family have a mysterious, decades-long feud with Miles's own—and that the visions are a premonition of his murder. Gabriel is everything Miles expects from a Hawthorne: rude, haughty, irritatingly good-looking. But that doesn't mean Miles is just going to stand by and let someone kill him. The two form an uneasy alliance, trying to solve Gabriel's murder before it happens. As they begin to unravel the web of secrets between their families, and with dark magic swirling around them, Miles is horrified to realize that he doesn’t hate Gabriel quite as much as he’s supposed to. He might even like him.Too bad Gabriel is probably going to die.