Hi, A.C.! Welcome back! What have you been up to since we last spoke for the release of Out of the Drowning Deep?

Thank you for having me back! Time really does fly, doesn’t it? It simultaneously feels like Out of the Drowning Deep just came out yesterday and a million years ago. That said, I’ve been busy working on this latest novel, as well as drafting some new stuff, and keeping up with my regular reviews, among various other things.

Your latest novel, Ballad of the Bone Road, is out January 27^th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Oooh. Let’s see: fae, haunting, glamorous, sad, hopeful.

What can readers expect?

As with Out of the Drowning Deep, there’s a bit of genre-mashing going on in Ballad of the Bone Road. It’s a ghost story, but the fae are also involved. It’s a story about the families people are born into and the ones they choose. There are a few touches of horror here and there, but overall, I’d say it skews more dark fantasy. There are sexy bits, some romance, but also tragedy tempered with hope.

The story is set in a sort of alternate history/fantasy version of New York City, where hauntings abound and the fae once roamed the streets. A young couple sets out to spend an extravagant weekend in a glamorous hotel, and accidentally find themselves caught up in a very complicated haunting. Enter Brix and Bellefeather, specialists in the paranormal, who each bring their own personal hauntings to the investigation, further complicating things.

Ultimately, readers can expect characters who often make bad choices in response to trauma, but mostly try to do right by each other in the end.

Where did the inspiration for Ballad of the Bone Road come from?

I usually have a terrible time with character names, but the names Brix and Bellefeather popped into my head one day and seemed like the perfect name for a pair of paranormal investigators, so that’s one part of it. Similarly, the line “When I was twelve, I met the Devil in an oak tree,” popped into my head, and while it didn’t survive exactly intact, I knew it was a key part of Belle’s backstory. Then a misheard song lyric sent me off on a tangent of imagining a young couple in a hotel room summoning up the ghost of a movie idol and becoming a throuple. Then, I had to figure out how all the pieces fit together, and the result became Ballad of the Bone Road.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I want to try to avoid spoilers, but I’m really fond of the last two chapters. They felt like a nice opportunity to have the characters grow as a result of their experiences, while also gaining a whole new set of emotional baggage even as they find some closure in other aspects of their lives.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

One of the things I struggled with during the editing stage was striking the right balance between revealing enough information to make the characters’ actions and choices feel motivated and understandable without either giving too much away or bogging down the story with unnecessary detail. Luckily, my editor is very patient and helped me work through what to cut, what to keep, and where to reorder certain elements. Having an outside set of eyes on a piece of work is so valuable! It’s easy to think you’re communicating clearly when you have the whole story more or less in your head, only to realize that a reader may be seeing something totally different than what you intended.

Your debut novel published almost five years ago! What are some of the key lessons you’ve learnt when it come to writing and publishing since then?

Eep! Time! How does it even work?

One of the key things I’ve learned is something I’d heard authors talk about before, but which hits differently having experienced it first hand: writing a novel never gets easier. By which I mean that every story has its own set of needs and you have to learn how best to write this particular book, rather than that particular book. That’s not to say that certain things don’t carry over, but there isn’t an automatic moment where you go “Aha, I now know how to write a novel and this will be a breeze!”

Another thing I’ve learned, or internalized now that I’ve experienced it, is that there’s only so much of the process you can control as an author. All you can do is tell the story you want to tell and hope it resonates with people, but you can’t guarantee that people will find your work or how they will respond to it if they do.

What’s next for you?

I’m currently drafting a new novel that is more horror focused. Fingers crossed that it comes together the way I’d like. I’m also working on a handful of short stories, and I have another handful slated for publication later this year.

Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?

I’ve started keeping a running list of upcoming titles that look intriguing so that I don’t lose track of them. A few that I’ve added recently are: The Scarlet Ball by Nghi Vo, On Sundays She Picked Flowers by Yah Yah Schofield, Nightjars by Michael Wehunt, The Language of Liars by S.L. Huang, and Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker. I also want to shout out a few upcoming titles that I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at: The Iron Garden Sutra by A.D. Sui, Cabaret in Flames by Hache Pueyo, The Night Parade and Other Stories by Stephanie Feldman, and The Haunted Houses She Calls Her Own by Gwendoyln Kiste.

Will you be picking up Ballad of the Bone Road? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: A.C. Wise, Author of ‘Ballad of the Bone Road’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Get ready to be whisked away with a new fantasy or sci-fi read because we’ve rounded up 72 upcoming reads that will be hitting shelves between January and June this year! From epic fantasy and speculative fiction, to space adventures and fantasy with more than a dash of romance, there’s something for every type SFF reader out there!

This year sees new releases from the likes of Jim Butcher, Isabel Ibañez, Kate Golden, Ava Reid, TJ Klune, Mike Chen, James S.A. Corey, Veronica Roth, RJ Barker, Shannon Chakraborty, Martha Wells, Sunyi Dean, Brandon Sanderson, and many more, plus some extremely exciting debuts!

You’ll be sure to find quite a few exciting new reads within this list and be sure to check out our other 2026 round-ups too, including our Most Anticipated, Romance, and Young Adult lists!

JANUARY 2026 FANTASY & SCI-FI BOOKS

The Starseekers by Nicole Glover

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Indiana Jones meets Hidden Figures in this brand-new stand-alone historical fantasy set in the world of The Conductors, in which the space race of the mid-20th century will be determined by magic…if not murder.

Twelve Months by Jim Butcher

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard, has always managed to save the day—but, in this powerful entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dresden Files, can he save himself?

Way of the Walker by Salinee Goldenberg

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Return to the Thai-inspired world of Suyoram in this vicious follow up to 2024’s The Last Phi Hunter, exploring mythology, colonialism, and feminine rage. A perfect read for fans of Iron Widow and The Sword of Kaigen.

City of Others by Jared Poon

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Dive into a world where magic lies hidden just below the surface in this charming urban fantasy full of workplace found family, queer romance, and supernatural creatures straight out of Southeast Asian lore, from debut author Jared Poon. 

Graceless Heart by Isabel Ibañez

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
#1 New York Times bestselling author Isabel Ibañez makes her adult debut with a gorgeous, historical, and romantic fantasy perfect for fans of One Dark Window and Ever After. A lush tale full of enemies-to-lovers tension, whimsical magic, villain romance, and slow-burn desire, set in an enchanted, perilous Florence where forbidden power could ignite a war.

Enchanting The Fae Queen by Stephanie Burgis

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Stephanie Burgis delivers another irreverent, sparkling, and sexy installment in the Queens of Villainy series, where a seductive fae queen meets her unexpected match in the enemy empire’s valiant general.

We Who Have No Gods by Liza Anderson

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
In a world of witches, a human woman must hunt or be hunted in this explosive gothic dark academia fantasy filled with war-bent rivals, guarded secrets, and simmering chemistry.

Godstorm by Solitaire Townsend

Publisher | Amazon | Waterstones | Goodreads
Fast-paced and highly original, Godstorm transports the reader to a vivid, alternative Roman Empire, which has evolved into an oil-worshiping global superpower fueled by petrol, domination and greed.

Detour by Jeff Rake and Rob Hart

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A space shuttle flight crew discovers that the Earth they’ve returned to is not the home they left behind in the first book of this emotional, mind-bending thriller series from the creator of the hit Netflix show Manifest and the bestselling author of The Warehouse.

Ballad of the Bone Road by A.C. Wise

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
In the glittering city of Port Astor, where fae roads criss-cross human highways and ghosts whisper to the living, nothing is ever as it seems. This utterly original dark fantasy tale of faith and fanaticism, doomed love and desperate bargains is perfect for fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Ava Reid.

The Twice-Wanted Witch by Katie Hallahan

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Six months after slaying an Archdemon, McKenna Ellerbeck is overworked and sidelined by the Council. When her friend faces trial and her ex goes missing amid demon plots and secrets, McKenna must uncover the truth and choose between power and justice.

The Elsewhere Express by Samantha Sotto Yambao

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
When you lose your way in life, the Elsewhere Express just might find you. Step on board the train that may take you to your life’s purpose in this wistful, Ghibli-esque fantasy from the bestselling author of Water Moon.

FEBRUARY 2026 FANTASY & SCI-FI BOOKS

The Fox Hunt by Caitlin Breeze

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Dive into the dark underbelly of England’s most ancient university, where behind closed doors a circle of privileged students enter into a dark pagan ritual–one that holds tantalizing power and comes at a terrible price.​

Strange Animals by Jarod K. Anderson

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An ordinary man discovers a hidden world of supernatural creatures—and an unexpected home—in this enchanting contemporary fantasy debut.

Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman

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A man must fight for his planet against impossible odds when gamers from Earth attempt to remotely annihilate it in this epic, fast-paced novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the smash-hit Dungeon Crawler Carl.

A Day of Breath by Darby Cox

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A dark and imaginative coming of age adventure filled with demons and religious conspiracy, A Day of Breath is a perfect read for fans of Naomi Novik and N.K. Jemisin.

The Gods Must Burn by T.R. Moore

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A disgraced war hero is transformed into the Wolf God, protector of the Forest God, and must earn her trust in this healing dark fantasy for fans of The Wolf and the Woodsman and Princess Mononoke.

The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Debut author Cameron Sullivan tears the heart out of history with this darkly entertaining retelling of the hunt for the Beast of Gévaudan. Lifting the veil on the hidden world behind our own, it reimagines the story of Europe, from Imperial Rome to Saint Jehanne d’Arc, the madness of Gilles de Rais and the first flickers of the French Revolution.

Half City by Kate Golden

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
When a lone demon hunter is recruited by a reformed demon to enroll at a private school for hunters like herself, she will reckon with secrets from her deceased father’s past, her mixed feelings for a man she’s been taught to hate, and a series of mysterious attacks that threatens the lives of every student at Harker Academy.

The Apple and the Pearl by Rym Kechacha

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A richly atmospheric fantasy set across one day, as a ballet troupe of lost souls perform an ancient dance for the faerie realms, knowing they could be snatched away by their audience of faerie princes, imps and sprites at any moment.

Nightshade and Oak by Molly O’Neill

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An Iron Age goddess must grapple with becoming human in this delightful historical fantasy of myth and magic from the author of the instant hit Greenteeth.

The Vanishing Bookstore by Helen Phifer

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Readers will lose themselves in the mesmerising magic of this absorbing and utterly unputdownable page-turner, perfect for fans of Weyward, The Lost Apothecary and Practical Magic.

The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox by Katrina Kwan

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the author of The Last Dragon of the East comes a sweeping fantasy adventure with a dash of romance between a nine-tailed fox and the demon-hunter who captures her, banished to the underworld together and forced to form a reluctant alliance in order to escape the circles of Hell.

The Misheard World by Aliya Whiteley

Amazon | Goodreads
An interrogation of a famed spy by a military agent reveals deeper secrets about the beginnings of the war—and about the world itself—in the latest groundbreaking novel from the Arthur C. Clarke Award-nominated Aliya Whiteley.

MARCH 2026 FANTASY & SCI-FI BOOKS

The First Step by Tao Wong

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
In a spectacular world of immortals, spirit beasts, and mystical martial arts, the young farmer Wu Ying’s life will be changed forever when he is unexpectedly invited to join an elite school of cultivation.

The Ascension of Souls by Bronte-Marie Wesson

Publisher | Amazon | Goodreads
The first in the Broken Cycle trilogy, The Ascension of Souls is an epic fantasy with intricate worldbuilding, complex characters, political schemes and a unique magic system.

Innamorata by Ava Reid

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A visionary and atmospheric gothic fantasy about necromancy, vengeance, and soul-consuming love, the first in a duology from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning and Lady Macbeth.

Voidverse by Damien Ober

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Dune meets Wool in this high-octane quest through the void, where two eternal forces are about to collide in an epic showdown.

The Fountain by Casey Scieszka

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Blending the spectacular with the everyday in a tale filled with humor and warmth, The Fountain explores what gives life meaning and how our understandings of our histories shape—and cage—us.

The Fox and the Devil by Kiersten White

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An obsession with a beautiful serial killer entangles a vampire hunter’s daughter in an immortal sapphic romance in this enthralling gothic fantasy from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Lucy Undying.

Magic and Mischief at the Wayside Hotel by Elizabeth Everett

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When a magical hotel appears smack-dab in the middle of the most unmagical of worlds, the last thing the residents expect is to fall in love.

The Book of Fallen Leaves by A.S. Tamaki

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Shogun meets Game of Thrones in the blockbuster epic fantasy event of the year.  A. S. Tamaki weaves a powerful tale of ambition, vengeance and sacrifice in this masterful fantasy retelling of an ancient Samurai saga, packed with memorable characters, stunning worldbuilding and epic adventure.

Aicha by Soraya Bouazzaoui

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads|
Aicha is the story of Morocco’s warrior goddess, her strange magic, fierce rebellion, and devastating romance. Soraya Bouazzaoui weaves an epic tale of female rage and hidden myths, perfect for fans of The City of Brass and The Stardust Thief.

No Man’s Land by Richard K. Morgan

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A compelling standalone dark fantasy set in a gritty post-WWI Britain that has been overrun by the fae, from the award-winning author of Altered Carbon.

Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A breathtaking reimagining of Cinderella, as told through the eyes of its iconic “evil” stepmother, revealing a propulsive love story about the lengths a mother will go to for her children.

The Library of Amorlin by Kalyn Josephson

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A brilliant con artist and a secretive librarian collide in New York Times bestselling author Kalyn Josephson’s enchanting adult fantasy debut packed with twists, tricks, slowburn romantic tension, and magical creatures — perfect for fans of S.A. MacLean, Mai Corland, and K.A. Linde.

APRIL 2026 FANTASY & SCI-FI BOOKS

The Subtle Art of Folding Space by John Chu

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
The Subtle Art of Folding Space, is the exhilarating debut science fiction novel from Nebula and Hugo Award-winning author John Chu channels unhinged physics, generational trauma, and the comfort of really good dim sum. This isn’t your usual jaunt through quantum physics.

An Arcane Study of Stars by Sydney J. Shields

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From Sydney J. Shields, the breakout author of The Honey Witch, comes An Arcane Study of Stars, a historical dark academia fantasy filled with ancient secret societies, a swoon-worthy rivals-to-lovers romance, and dangerous deals made after dark. Perfect for fans of The Atlas Six and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.

The Lighthouse at the End of the World by Philip A. Suggars

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Enter a London like no other in this fast-paced, captivating fantasy novel filled with warring gods, alternate realities and a working class kid caught in the middle of it all, perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab and Genevieve Cogman.

We Burned So Bright by T.J. Klune

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A heart-wrenching standalone novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune, We Burned So Bright follows an elder gay couple on an end-of-the-world road-trip.

The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains by Reena McCarty

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A former changeling must return to the land of the Fae to right a bargain that’s gone terribly wrong in this delightful cozy fantasy debut packed full of charm, adventure, romance and heart.

Stay for a Spell by Amy Coombe

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A cursed princess must discover what her heart truly longs for in this charmingly cozy romantic fantasy for everyone who’s ever lost – or found – themselves in a bookshop.

Witch Queen Rising by Savannah Stephens

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A reclusive witch who fled the burden of her bloodline rises to be the greatest among them in this lush and haunting fantasy debut.

The Language of Liars by S. L. Huang

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Training to infiltrate the Star Eaters, Ro believes empathy will transform him rather than make him an imposter. Ignoring his elders’ warnings, he fails to realise that understanding an alien species may come at a devastating cost.

The Photonic Effect by Mike Chen

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A starship captain and her crew face conspiracies and betrayals as they clash with various factions of a galactic civil war in a thrilling space adventure by New York Times bestselling author Mike Chen.

The Faith of Beasts by James S.A. Corey

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James S. A. Corey’s Expanse series has sold more than 12 million copies worldwide and has been translated into more than 23 languages, establishing itself as a modern masterwork of science fiction. Now, the Hugo-award winning author returns with the second volume in their New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed space opera trilogy, The Captive’s War. 

The Radiant Dark by Alexandra Oliva

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Arrival meets Wild Dark Shore in this captivating novel that follows a family over fifty years—a bold and compassionate exploration of the universe around us and what it truly means to be human.

What We Are Seeking by Cameron Reed

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From Cameron Reed, the acclaimed author of The Fortunate Fall, comes a soaring novel of queer hope and transformation, perfect for readers of Ann Leckie and Amal El-Mohtar.

MAY 2026 FANTASY & SCI-FI BOOKS

The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A battle-worn corporate samurai undertakes one last mission on a merciless planet where death is always a mere breath away, in this standalone dystopian epic from the author of the modern fantasy classic Jade City. 

The Franchise by Thomas Elrod

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Game of Thrones meets The Truman Show in this epic tale of a Hollywood-owned fantasy world where nothing is quite as it seems to the people who live and die at the studio’s whim.

Seek the Traitor’s Son by Veronica Roth

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
An epic, romantic dystopian fantasy begins in Seek the Traitor’s Son, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth.

Mortedant’s Peril by RJ Barker

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
In a city of ancient automata, strange spirits, and sleeping gods, a cleric of death finds his own life on the line in this vividly imagined fantasy murder mystery from the acclaimed author of The Bone Ships and Age of Assassins.

Absence by Andrew Dana Hudson

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
In this gripping, moving, and genre-blending speculative debut, the world is unraveling from an epidemic of human vanishing. Two rookie agents from the Bureau of Depopulation Affairs are dispatched to small-town Kansas to investigate a woman who claims to have returned from Spontaneous Human Absence, offering answers that could change everything.

Palaces of the Crow by Ray Nayler

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
In Ray Nayler’s speculative novel of the recent past, four young teens caught between Nazis and the Red Army survive winter in the woods with the help of a flock of highly intelligent crows with a magnificent secret of their own to protect.

Magician by Tracy Lynne Oliver

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A dark magic debut novel featuring the Boy who becomes the Magician and the villainous Mother whose sadism might end it all—for fans of Our Share of Night and The Changeling.

A Curse of Beasts and Magic by Jeaniene Frost

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
New York Times bestselling author of The Night Huntress series Jeaniene Frost returns with a brand-new series! It’s Beauty and the Beast meets The Witcher, except Beauty IS the Beast, and he’s the Warden keeping mythical beings in check in our world and beyond.

The Tapestry of Fate by Shannon Chakraborty

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
New York Times bestselling author Shannon Chakraborty sets sail into the second adventure of pirate Amina al-Sirafi as her quest to track down magical artifacts brings her to the island lair of a sorceress whose woven enchantments are impossible to flee.

Platform Decay by Martha Wells

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Everyone’s favorite lethal SecUnit is back in the next installment of Martha Wells’ bestselling and award-winning Murderbot Diaries series.

The Girl with a Thousand Faces by Sunyi Dean

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the USA Today bestselling author of The Book Eaters comes The Girl with a Thousand Faces, a stunning Gothic tale set in a historical Hong Kong that meshes ancient myths and local legends into a haunting story of ghosts, grief, and women who will not forgive.

Death’s Daughter by S.A. Barnes

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Perfect for fans of Ninth House, Nightshade, and Neon Gods, Death’s Daughter is a dark, spicy and deliciously autumnal contemporary romantic fantasy in a dark academia setting, in which the only daughter of Death is named his successor, making her both a powerful ally and a massive target, all while she tries to make it through her final year at college . . .

JUNE 2026 FANTASY & SCI-FI BOOKS

Heaven’s Graveyard by Grace Curtis

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
From the Sunday Times-bestselling author of Floating Hotel and Idolfire comes a science fantasy tale of history and myth, magic and mystery, perfect for fans of Shelley Parker-Chan and A. K. Larkwood.

The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
With her country’s future and her own life at stake, an orphaned duchess must journey into a world of myth and there discover a power that may be her salvation—or her demise—in this enchanting new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the Winternight Trilogy and The Warm Hands of Ghosts.

Songs of the Dead by Brandon Sanderson and Peter Orullian

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A London rocker is faced with a life-or-death choice when he realizes that a powerful society of magic wielders are the only ones keeping London safe in this deft contemporary fantasy cowritten by #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson with author and musician Peter Orullian.

Sublimation by Isabel J. Kim

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Doppelgängers, corporate intrigue, heartbreak, betrayal, and the harsh permanence of the border: Sublimation is a thrilling and provocative debut for fans of Severance that asks what you’d sacrifice for a different life from award-winning author Isabel J. Kim.

The Winged Game by Sophie Kim

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Fantasy meets sports romance in this sizzling slow-burn novel in which the disgraced star of a brutal magical sport must team up with the rival who destroyed her career, from the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of The God and the Gumiho.

The Reimagining of Thornwood House by Jaleigh Johnson

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A witch and her young ward discover a magical, walking house and learn the true meaning of home in this cozy, enchanting novel from New York Times bestselling author Jaleigh Johnson.

A Dance of Burning Blades by M. H. Ayinde

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
War rages on in the second heart-pounding novel in M. H. Ayinde’s relentless epic fantasy series The Invoker Trilogy, a sweeping epic of revenge and rebellion set in a richly drawn world of warring clans and ancestor magic.

The Jellyfish Problem by Tessa Yang

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A marine biologist makes the discovery of a lifetime when called to rescue the inhabitants of a small Maine island being menaced by a giant, glowing jellyfish in this richly imagined, wholly original debut.

Obstetrix by Naomi Kritzer

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From the Hugo award-winning author Naomi Kritzer comes a tense portrait of a future we desperately hope to escape.

The Traveler by Joseph Eckert

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The Traveler is the story of a reluctant time-traveler and his son, and the bond between them that even millennia cannot break. An adventure full of heartbreak, hope, and futures beyond imagination.

The Sixth Nik by Daniel Kraus

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A startling hybrid of the Alien franchise and Ender’s Game, The Sixth Nik is the first sci-fi novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Whalefall and Angel Down.

Field Guide for the Formerly Villainous by Autumn K England

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STARDEW VALLEY meets STUDIO GHIBLI in a charming cozy fantasy about healing, redemption, and the subtle magic of simple living. Perfect for fans of Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea and The Spellshop. Welcome home, weary traveler.

What new fantasy and sci-fi book releases are you looking forward to picking up this year? Any from this list? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Fantasy & Sci-Fi Book Releases To Devour In 2026 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Hi, A.C.! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Hello! I’m an author and a reviewer. My latest title is the novella, Out of the Drowning Deep (Titan Books), which is officially out today. My previous works include the novels Wendy, Darling and Hooked, and the short story collection, The Ghost Sequences, among others. I tend mostly toward dark fantasy and horror in my writing, but I do love to move between genres and mash them up as well. Along with my fiction, I contribute regular review columns to Locus and Apex Magazine. I’m originally from Montreal, but I currently live in the Philadelphia area, and I’m owned by a corgi and a cat – mostly the cat, she’s in charge of everyone.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

At a pretty early age. I’ve been a voracious reader since I learned to read, and my mother claims that even before I could read, I would sit on the couch with a pile of books, slowly turning the pages, utterly absorbed. Similarly, I’ve always been drawn to the idea of writing my own stories. I still have a binder of 1-2 sentence “stories” I wrote when I was maybe six years old? Almost all the words are horribly misspelled, but they do all have their own original full-color illustrations! I think I clued into the concept that a professional author was a thing one could be when I was in third grade, and that became my one unshakable goal among all the other things I thought I wanted to be when I grew up. Good job, past me, you made it!

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: Either The Lorax by Dr. Seuss or Busy, Busy World by Richard Scarry. I have a bad memory, but I’m pretty sure it was one of those two!
• The one that made you want to become an author: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark collected by Alvin Schwartz
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Same as above – Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark collected by Alvin Schwartz. That entire series lodged itself in my head and continues to live there rent free.

Your latest novella, Out of the Drowning Deep, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Murder, chaos, queerness, biblically-accurate angels.

What can readers expect?

All of the above, and more! I tried to mash-up as many genres as I thought I could get away with in this novella, so it’s a little bit murder mystery, a little bit noir, a little bit science fantasy, a little bit horror, and maybe even a little bit romance (though a somewhat unhealthy one). A dead pope is discovered by an obsolete automaton who has guardianship over a largely forgotten and crumbling fortress, and he teams up with a down-on-his-luck private investigator and an angel to solve the murder. Pretty much every character is reckoning with trauma and things from their past they would rather forget, but it’s also a story about friendship and characters growing and changing based on the time they spend with each other.

Where did the inspiration for Out of the Drowning Deep come from?

The original spark came from a conversation I had with Scott Andrews, who is the publisher and editor of Beneath Ceaseless Skies. For those unfamiliar, Beneath Ceaseless Skies is a wonderful online magazine that primarily focuses on secondary world fantasy fiction, but every now and then, they do a special science fantasy issue. Talking about science fantasy got me thinking about genre mash-ups and the initial image of an automaton watching over a crumbling fortress on a desolate planet popped into my mind. I knew there had been a murder, and the rest of the novella grew from there.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

Honestly, I enjoyed all of it! It was so much fun trying to mash-up so many genres, and I grew really fond of all the characters. Angel in particular was very enjoyable to write. Xe is an incredibly powerful and ancient/ageless being, but there’s something almost child-like about xem as well. Xe’s enthusiastic and impulsive, but there’s also an underlying awareness in xem of how powerful xe is, and how much unintentional harm xe might cause if that power isn’t kept tightly under control.

With this being a novella, how do you approach keeping your story short and succinct? Does the story ever feel like it could spiral out of control to a full-length novel?

With this novella in particular, there was a danger of it spiraling out of control, given that there are multiple point of view characters each with their own arc. Luckily, I did have a pretty good sense going in of what each character wanted, or what they didn’t want, and where they were headed, which helped keep me focused. It also helps that Katie Dent, my editor at Titan, is fantastic and did a wonderful job identifying what wasn’t needed and could be cut, and what areas could and should be expanded – all while sticking to novella length.

What’s next for you?

I have a horror novella, Grackle, which should be out later this year, as well as a handful of short stories coming out in anthologies and in online publications over the next few months. I also have a new novel in the works, which I’m hoping to be able to share more information about soon, and there are more short stories currently in the works as well!

Lastly, what books have you enjoyed so far this year and are there any that you can’t wait to get your hands on?

There have already been so many titles I’ve enjoyed this year, but I’ll try to limit myself somewhat. The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed, The Woods All Black by Lee Mandelo, Dragonfly Gambit by A.D. Sui, and Lovely Creatures by K.T. Bryski are all wonderful novellas published this year. In terms of novels published this year, I’ve really enjoyed Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay, The Book of Love by Kelly Link, and The Garden of Delights by Amal Singh. Some upcoming titles I’m excited about are Countess by Suzan Palumbo, The City in Glass by Nghi Vo, and Model Home by Rivers Solomon. That really is just to name a few!

Will you be picking up Out of the Drowning Deep? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: A.C. Wise, Author of ‘Out of the Drowning Deep’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from A.C. Wise’s Hooked, which is out July 12th.

Once invited, always welcome.
Once invited, never free.

Captain James Hook, the immortal pirate of Neverland, has died a thousand times. Drowned, stabbed by Peter Pan’s sword, eaten by the beast swimming below the depths, yet James was resurrected every time by one boy’s dark imagination. Until he found a door in the sky, an escape. And he took the chance no matter the cost.

Now in London twenty-two years later, Peter Pan’s monster has found Captain Hook again, intent on revenge. But a chance encounter leads James to another survivor of Neverland. Wendy Darling, now a grown woman, is the only one who knows how dark a shadow Neverland casts, no matter how far you run. To vanquish Pan’s monster once and for all, Hook must play the villain one last time…

Exploring themes of grief, survivor’s guilt and healing broken bonds, Hooked is a modern-day Peter Pan story, perfect for fans of retellings, Christina Henry and V.E. Schwab.

Wendy Darling isn’t a child anymore. The fact shouldn’t surprise him—children grow up in this world, after all. But in his mind, she is frozen as he last saw her, a young girl trailing after Pan. She doesn’t belong to this world; she belongs to Neverland.

James watches Wendy Darling, the woman, pelt away from him. Not running from him this time, but running toward a child of her own. Should he find it strange that even with strands of gray in her hair and lines at the corners of her mouth and eyes, he knew her instantly and she knew him?

No. If some part of her still belongs to Neverland, so does a part of him.

Stay. Stay here with me.

Against the day’s cold, Samuel’s hands are suddenly on his, flesh and blood and wood and flesh again. Dizziness sweeps him, and James leans his weight onto his cane until it passes. Samuel’s voice, his ghost, has never come to him outside of their flat before. His worlds, all of them, bleed together, disorienting him.

Stay.

James blinks. The world resolves back into the gray London street, the damp, clumpy snow falling from the sky. Did it ever snow in Neverland? He shakes his head to chase the thought away. A melting trickle of icy water slips beneath his collar, a finger traced down his spine.

He wishes for Samuel’s warmth again, regrets the loss of his ghost. He shouldn’t have banished him. He needs him here, now. The tug of Neverland is stronger than ever. Wendy Darling reappearing here in this world—it must be connected. Did she feel the door open too? Did she feel the beast slip through?

Last night, he might have dismissed the beast and the door as an illusion, but now he’s certain.

And if the door is real, why shouldn’t he return? If he’s meant to stay in London, he needs Samuel to ground him, to give him some rationale for why he shouldn’t run off seeking his ghost, the remains of him in Neverland. Because if the door can open one way, if the beast could step through, then couldn’t James himself cross back as well? And find Samuel waiting on the other side.

The thought freezes the breath in his lungs more effectively than the winter air.

The temptation pulls at him, stronger than the desire for smoke or drink. Samuel had always been his anchor, reeling James back when he drifted too far, when he let smoke carry him to the point of unraveling in a desperate attempt to quell his pain. He’d promised Samuel, again and again, that he’d be careful. And again and again, he’d broken that promise. Here, now, everything still hurts, and he no longer has Samuel, his compass, to find his way home.

“Why should I stay when you’re gone?” He snaps the words aloud into the cold, puffs of breath hanging like ghosts in the air.

A young couple passing close to him startles. The man casts James a wary glance, pulling the woman at his side closer and steering her away.

He ignores them. Mad Hook. Bad Hook. Let them think him a crazy old man. What does he care? His leg aches, not just with the cold. He feels the buried fragments of a blade shattered long ago, lodged beneath his skin. Shrapnel. They shift, magnetized pieces tugging him back to where he promised never to go.

Gripping the head of his cane, he walks deliberately against the ache with no destination in mind. He can’t remember why he even left the flat—he does so rarely these days. Something pulled at him, demanded he be here at this precise moment to meet a ghost from his past made real.

He can no longer see Wendy Darling on the street ahead. But he’s certain now that they’ve found each other once, he’ll see her again. It strikes him—presumably she’s been in London this entire time, right under his nose, but they’d never encountered each other. Not until today. There must be a purpose to it. Did Pan ever give Wendy Darling the secret of his hunting beast? Could she have called it here, or better yet, could she call it off if it attacks again?

A faint memory tugs at him—the pale oval of a face surrounded by coppery curls, mouth startled-wide, peering over the rail of a ship—his ship—as he sank into the beast’s jaws.

She stood at Pan’s side and watched him die. She did nothing to stop it.

The post Read An Excerpt From ‘Hooked’ by A.C. Wise appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin
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Practical Magic meets Twister in this debut contemporary fantasy standalone about heartbreaking power, the terror of our collapsing atmosphere, and the ways we unknowingly change our fate.

Daughter of Sparta by Claire M. Andrews
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A reinterpretation of the classic Greek myth of Daphne and Apollo, Daughter of Sparta by debut author Claire Andrews turns the traditionally male-dominated mythology we know into a heart-pounding and empowering female-led adventure.

The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid
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In the vein of Naomi Novik’s New York Times bestseller Spinning Silver and Katherine Arden’s national bestseller The Bear and the Nightingale, this unforgettable debut— inspired by Hungarian history and Jewish mythology—follows a young pagan woman with hidden powers and a one-eyed captain of the Woodsmen as they form an unlikely alliance to thwart a tyrant.

Seven Deaths of an Empire by G. R. Matthews
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A new grimdark fantasy for fans of Anna Smith-Spark, GRR Martin and Mark Lawrence.

The Tangleroot Palace: Stories by Marjorie Liu
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New York Times bestseller and Hugo, British Fantasy, Romantic Times, and Eisner award-winning author of the graphic novel, Monstress, Marjorie Liu leads you deep into the heart of the tangled woods. In her long-awaited debut story collection, dark, lush, and spellbinding short fiction you will find unexpected detours, dangerous magic, and even more dangerous women.

The Ninth Metal by Benjamin Percy
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From award-winning author Benjamin Percy comes an explosive, breakout speculative thriller in which a powerful new metal arrives on Earth in the wake of a meteor shower, triggering a massive new “gold rush” in the Midwest and turning life as we know it on its head. The first of a cycle of novels set in a shared universe.

The Coward by Stephen Aryan
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Who will take up the mantle and slay the evil in the Frozen North, saving all from death and destruction? Not Kell Kressia, he’s done his part…

The World Gives Way by Marissa Levien
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In a near-future world on the brink of collapse, a young woman born into servitude must seize her own freedom in this glittering debut with a brilliant twist; perfect for fans of Station Eleven, Karen Thompson Walker, and Naomi Alderman.

For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten
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For fans of Uprooted and The Bear and the Nightingale comes a dark fantasy novel about a young woman who must be sacrificed to the legendary Wolf of the Wood to save her kingdom. But not all legends are true, and the Wolf isn’t the only danger lurking in the Wilderwood.

Wendy, Darling by A.C. Wise
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A lush, feminist re-imagining on what happened to Wendy after Neverland, for fans of Circe and The Mere Wife.

A Season of Sinister Dreams by Tracy Banghart
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Furyborn meets A Curse So Dark and Lonely in this courtly feminist fantasy from Grace and Fury author Tracy Banghart.

The Library of the Dead by T.L. Huchu
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Sixth Sense meets Stranger Things in T. L. Huchu’s The Library of the Dead, a sharp contemporary fantasy following a precocious and cynical teen as she explores the shadowy magical underside of modern Edinburgh.

What June fantasy and sci-fi books are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post June 2021 Fantasy & Sci-Fi Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

I firmly believe that art has the unlimited potential to transform and redeem, and that applies to previous works of art as much as anything else. Here are books and authors who took on the project of transformation and reclamation of cosmic horror, of doing Lovecraft without Lovecraft.

The Drowning Girl by Caitlin R. Kiernan

Kiernan has long been a Lovecraftian and cosmic horror writer, and really any of her books will show you space-, time-, and mind-breaking phenomena. The Drowning Girl is one of her best, featuring a queer woman who may be experiencing symptoms of her mental illness or may be haunted by a woman (or entity) with vast and terrible secrets. Lovecraft, as a consequence of his time, had an imperfect understanding of mental illness and “madness.” Kiernan gives us a far more nuanced exploration of the inconsistencies and possibilities of the mind.

The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle

This is a direct and explicit critique of Lovecraft’s racism and the gatekeeping of SFF/Horror as well. Tom is a musician drawn into a conspiracy of white men, and what he discovers is both unsettlingly alien but also exhaustingly familiar. The ending is dark and bleak and amazing in a way that even Lovecraft never managed, and I still think about it years later.

Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff

Matt Ruff always finds incisive ways to take current political narratives and turn them on their head. He challenged 9/11 narratives with Mirage, and challenges racism and the horrors of the Jim Crow South with this novel about badass veteran Atticus Turner. This will be a series on HBO produced by Jordan Peele very soon, so get reading!

A Lush and Seething Hell by John Hornor Jacobs

These two novellas are both pointed ripostes to Lovecraft’s racism and xenophobia. One features a Latina woman who must return home fight foreign threats–and here “foreign” means both interdimensional horrors and US black ops in a scathingly apt reminder of how the CIA interfered in Latin America. The other features a journey into the American South, and one very dark folk tradition. Both are genuinely scary, and I was sublimely creeped out the whole way through reading both of them. John Hornor Jacobs is way underappreciated in general, but ignoring this particular book verges on criminal.

Catfish Lullaby by A. C. Wise

A. C. Wise’s debut novel features a queer black protagonist trying to unravel the terrible mysteries of a local family and what they get up to in their isolated house in the woods. His compassion and bravery is the counterbalance to horrors both cosmic and depressingly human.

She Walks in Shadows by ed. Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Paula R. Stiles

This collection of Lovecraftian fiction by and featuring women is edited by and filled with all-stars all writing about strange beings whom Lovecraft rarely ventured to describe: women. Yeah, not many women in Lovecraft’s works, but these authors go a long way toward fixing that.

Dreams from the Witch House: Female Voices of Lovecraftian Horror by ed. Joyce Carol Oates

This book offers additional female and feminist takes on Lovecraft’s worlds and ideas. There’s an early work from Tamsyn Muir now of Gideon the Ninth fame, as well as from mainstays of cosmic horror like Caitlin R. Kiernan, Gemma Files, Sonya Taaffe, and more.

American Elsewhere by Robert Jackson Bennett

Think Pleasantville meets Lovecraft in this tale about the dread perils of suburbia and nostalgia. What if cosmic horrors found us as fascinating and strange as we found them? What if they wanted to stay and enact our human foibles, and force humans to join in? Sounds funny, and part of it are, but it’s also smart and scary.

Uzumaki by Junji Ito

This is, in my opinion, Japanese horror master Junji Ito’s most magnificently unsettling work. Inexplicable compulsions and transformations begin to take hold of a small Japanese town, gradually making the residents obsessed with replicating spiral patterns. Vignettes about the townspeople are tied together by Shuichi and Kirie, who observe the phenomena and are eventually dragged into the collective hysteria. You’ll never look at snails the same way again.

Innsmouth by Megan James

Have you ever wished that you could have a wee little shoggoth for a pet, keeping it in a cat carrier and letting it out to make its cute little “gibber, gibber” noises? No? Well, you will. This adorably irreverent take on Lovecraft’s whole mythos is just starting, but promises to be an ongoing delight.

Death Sentences by Kawamata Chiaki

Six interconnected stories tell a single overarching narrative of one man’s disturbing success in using art to break time and space. It’s fitting, then, that the novel spans from the early twentieth century to the distant future, and from Japan to France to colonies on Mars. Mysterious surrealist Who May is behind it all, but was his work an accident or an act of genius—or malice? People have compared this to The Ring, which is fair in terms of some of its themes, but it’s also definitely pure cosmic horror. 

The Dream Quest of Vellitt Boe by Kij Johnson

What’s it like to live in a universe where the physics are fickle and the gods even more so? Vellitt Boe knows, and she doesn’t have time for bombastic Kadath or any other such Daring Adventure. She has a world to save and a girl to find, a young woman who was formerly her student, but has since disappeared and disturbed a god by her absence.

This list is by no means complete, so let me know your favourite works of cosmic horror in the comments!

The post Lovecraft Without Lovecraft: Diverse Cosmic Horror appeared first on The Nerd Daily.