and therefore, you, too, should look forward to them probably
Sorry, graphic design is not my passion. But hey, I can write in cursive. Apparently that’s a dying skill, so.
Howdy, y’all!
And welcome to another book recommendation list. This originally started because I was trying to keep track of all of the new books I wanted read that were coming out this year. Then I realized that I probably wasn’t the only one who could benefit from such a list—you all, and also the authors in question. Discovery is hard, and word of mouth is the best way to do it.
So here is my virtual mouth sharing some books I’m excited about with you. It’s not exclusive, obviously, but I specifically didn’t include books I’m excited about but haven’t read the preceding books in the series, etc.
If you pick some of them up, tell me! You know where to find me.
Stay sharp,
C. L.
p.s. many of the links below are affiliate links and I get a kickback if you buy from them, but I’m always happy for you to support your own local!
Year of the Mer by L. D. Lewis (US|UK) - April 7, 2026
More sea lesbians, but this time, I surmise we’re going underwater. I haven’t read this one yet, but I have enjoyed Elle’s short fiction (even selected one of her short stories for the Best of Queer anthology I edited for Neon Hemlock). The Little Mermaid but gay is the general tagline, but it picks up as a sequel of sorts, with Ariel’s daughter and the price of a certain bargain with Ursula…throw in a bodyguard fiancée, and you know I’m in. Look, I’m easy. And I have a type! Know thyself, they say.
Rabbit Test by Samantha Mills (US|UK) - April 21, 2026
I’ve long loved Samantha Mills’ work, going so far as to reprint and narrate her short story “Strange Waters” while I was co-editor at Podcastle. I’ve also mentioned her novel, The Wings Upon Her Back several times on this here blog—a butch book and a book to weep over after you finish The Sovereign. I even blurbed it. Also, Tachyon is a beloved small press and continues to take risks on crunchy, complicated work.
Heaven’s Graveyard by Grace Curtis (US|UK) - June 16, 2026
Though I haven’t read this one, I have been behind the scenes and seen the sausage get made. It’s a loose sequel* (as in, by a thousand years or so) to Idolfire. Cod, the main character of this adventure, is an archeologist obsessed with the myth of an ancient hero (whom some of you might recognize) but no one believes her. When she gets on the trail of some good, hard evidence, and ancient magic starts to wake up, she begins to realize that some secrets are better left buried.
*Though this is technically a sequel, you can read it as a standalone.
Pasha the Storm by Linda Codega (US|UK) - June 30, 2026
Another book I’ve mentioned here before…Pasha is irreverent and incorrigible and more than a little horny. And I love a good pirate book. Make the pirate captain a queer older woman and you definitely have my attention; that’s not usually who you see as the Main Character. Pasha was once basically the lord of the pirates and is now landbound because of some broken oaths. Without a ship, without a crew, she ends up blackmailed by a P.Y.T. to hunt a great black whale. I enjoyed it thoroughly and honestly did not expect that ending.
Yeah, this one is by me! I wasn’t going to put it on, but, you know, it’s hard enough out there and I have to remind people anyway, so—I do have a book out this year and I’m really excited about it! Think gay Witcher—but in Fortune’s Wake, we see our monster slayer on her first job, the misadventure that sets her path. Kova leaves home to apprentice herself to the greatest monster slayer around, but she finds all the monsters are closer to home than she realized. I hope you’ll give it a shot, too. It’ll be a Kindle exclusive on ebook, but we should have an audiobook coming as well as a special edition…so stay tuned. 🤞
Forged in Fiyah, ed. DaVaun Sanders - Sept. 29, 2026
Yes, I am in this one, no that is not the (only) reason you should check it out. It’s a pretty star-studded ToC (table of contents, for those of you who are new to short story-speak). My very first short story ever was published by FIYAH magazine in Year One (the Roots issue). For this ten year anniversary anthology, I get to join a long list of other contributors from over the years, and it’s an amazing way to introduce yourself to recent, active Black writers in the genre.
Thrice-Bound Fool by Christopher Beuhlman (US|UK) - Oct. 13, 2026
I get to read more about Galva, the love of my life? Enough said. Pre-ordered. Pre-pre-ordered. If you are not already in love with Galva, you may start with The Blacktongue Thief. I listened to the audiobook, read by the author himself, and it was such a ride! Kinch is a wonderful and hilarious narrator, a thief on the run from his own guild and in over his head as the fates of kingdom end up in his quick palms. And Galva, steadfast, strong, and with eyes only for her queen-in-exile…sigh.
The Slantwise Histories and Other Stories by Alix E. Harrow - Oct. 20, 2026
Lots of folks came to Alix through her novels like The Thousand Doors of January or Starling House. I did not! I found her short stories first, like “Do Not Look Back, My Lion.” And then, the infamous “Six Deaths of the Saint” followed by The Everlasting. So I am looking forward to this collection so I can fill in the gaps of the rest of the stories I haven’t read and watch a master work.
The Wolves of War by John Gwynne (US|UK) - Nov. 3, 2026
The thing John does well—and it’s something I plan on delving deeper into longform—is heroic fantasy. Good people—genuinely good people—making hard choices and always trying to do the right thing. The war cry of one of his bands is “Truth and courage!” I loved his Bloodsworn trilogy (I finished it on the way to the event we did together, and was just sitting on the train weeping and avoiding eye-contact), and I recently just finished his Faithful and the Fallen series, so I was excited to get an early copy. I haven’t read it yet, but I’m expecting noble (ish) fighters and strong bonds, a return to that classic fantasy feeling I love.
Children of Empire by Nibideta Sen (US|UK) - Nov. 10, 2026
I’m a new Critical Role fan, and after the TV show, I’m obsessed with the Mighty Nein (and Beau), so after I finish the campaign, I will be diving into this sequel. And I’ll be honest, even if I write IP, I don’t tend to read it much. But I’m going to give this one a go.
Call me Traitor by Everina Maxwell (US|UK) - Dec. 1, 2026
So, I was asked to read this early for blurb reasons, but it was the premise that hooked me—and honestly made me a little nervous. Brainwashed soldier who gets her memory wiped? Dueling timelines, dueling points of view, with the woman who put her in that position in the first place? It sounded a bit too close to Warmongers, honestly, so I almost said know. Well, I was right and I was so, so wrong. (I should have learned my lesson from The Jasmine Throne/The Unbroken.) There’s a central heartbreak, the folly of youth and the costs to be paid as an adult, questions of soldiers and orders—they have those books in common. But there’s something hopeful and warming that Ev brings to this book, just like in Winter’s Orbit. (That said, I think it’s not very romantic, as in the genre, than it’s being advertised as. It’s more fantasy with lovers at the center, and it works best that way.) I’ve mentioned this book before, and I’m not going to stop. I LOVED it and look forward to going back to these characters (so please buy it so that I, selfishly, can have a sequel).
Thanks for reading. If you like these ad-free, AI-less posts, please consider supporting my work by becoming a paid subscriber, dropping a tip in the tip jar, or buying a book for a friend.
S&S/Saga Press
Clear
