Summer is over and the Fall weather is the perfect time to get some reading done. Here are five new Sci-Fi/Fantasy novels launching this Fall to put on your list.
I read pretty consistently all year long, but there’s something about the Fall season that makes me want to read even more. Perhaps it’s the weather finally cooling down, or having a few more days off with upcoming holidays…Either way, there’s no shortage of new Science Fiction and Fantasy novels coming out to keep readers busy.
As such, I thought I’d break down some of the new books dropping in the upcoming months that have caught my attention and think you might like to mark down on your “reading lists” as well!
When Byron Kidd’s twelve-year-old daughter vanishes, the only clue is a note claiming that she’s taken off to explore the Hidden World, a magical land from a series of popular novels. She is not the only child to seek out this imaginary realm in recent years, and Byron—a cynical and hard-nosed reporter—is determined to discover the whereabouts of dozens of missing kids.
Byron secures a high-profile interview with Annabelle Tobin, the eccentric author of the books, and heads off to her palatial home in the Hollywood Hills. But the truth Byron discovers is more fantastic than he ever could have dreamed.
As he unearths locations from the books that seem to be bleeding into the real world, he must shed his doubts and dive headfirst into the mystical secrets of Los Angeles if he hopes to reunite with his child. Soon Byron finds himself on his own epic journey—but if he’s not careful, he could be the next one to disappear.
Told through journal entries, transcripts, emails, and excerpts from Tobin’s novels, Dreambound is a spellbinding homage to Los Angeles and an immersive and fast-paced story of how far a father will go—even delving into impossible worlds—to save his daughter.
Why We’re Excited: I actually had a chance to already read this one a bit ahead of its release and had a ton of fun with it. The writing style makes for a fast-paced adventure that expertly combines the fantastical elements with our real world. Even better, it’s a standalone novel so you can enjoy it without needing to worry about starting another big series!
Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.
Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.
Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits—and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.
But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year.
Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College—and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.
Why We’re Excited: Iron Flame marks the second book in The Empyrean series, serving as a sequel to Fourth Wing. Fourth Wing has taken the world by storm as it’s combination of high fantasy, great writing, and a dash of spice has managed to enchant long time fantasy readers and newcomers alike. If you haven’t read the first book yet, definitely get on that so you can be ready for this one come November!
The galaxy is divided. Following the shocking destruction of Starlight Beacon, the Nihil have established an impenetrable barrier called the Stormwall around part of the Outer Rim, where Marchion Ro rules and his followers wreak havoc at his every whim. Jedi trapped behind enemy lines, including Avar Kriss, must fight to help the worlds being pillaged by the Nihil while staying one step ahead of the marauders and their Nameless terrors.
Outside of the Nihil’s so-called Occlusion Zone, Elzar Mann, Bell Zettifar, and the other Jedi work alongside the Republic to reach the worlds that have been cut off from the rest of the galaxy. But every attempt to breach the Stormwall has failed, and even communication across the barrier is impossible. The failures and losses weigh heavily upon both Elzar and Bell as they search desperately for a solution.
But even if the Republic and Jedi forces manage to breach the Stormwall, how can the Jedi fight back against the Nameless creatures that prey on the Jedi’s connection to the Force? And what other horrors does Marchion Ro have in store? As desperation for both the Jedi and the Republic grows, any hope of reuniting the galaxy could be all but extinguished…
Why We’re Excited: Phase I and II of The High Republic have been incredible all around. The characters have been highly captivating while the stories being told offer all the thrills and delight of the movies, while hammering home important themes/ideas. With Phase I essentially ending with the villain(s) winning, fans have been eager to see what comes next with the third, and final, phase. While this final phase is spread out a bit more and well into next year, it all kicks off with The Eye of Darkness this November.
She’s got a ramshackle spaceship, a misfit crew, and a big problem with its sexy newest member…
Temperance Reed, banished from the wealthy and dangerous Fifteen Families, just wants to keep her crew together after their feckless captain ran off with the intern. But she’s drowning in debt and revolutionary new engine technology is about to make her beloved ship obsolete.
Enter Arcadio Escajeda. Second child of the terrifying Escajeda Family, he’s the thorn in Temper’s side as they’re sent off on a scouting mission on the backwater desert planet of Herschel 2. They throw sparks every time they meet but Temper’s suspicions of his ulterior motives only serve to fuel the flames between them.
Despite volcanic eruptions, secret cultists, and deadly galactic fighters, the greatest threat on this mission may be to Temper’s heart.
Why We’re Excited: While I’m not normally all about the romance books and such (though this list includes two of them now!), it’s hard to not be intrigued by Calamity from TOR/Bramble. Billed as an “interstellar romance,” the synopsis brings some serious Firefly vibes to the table. Considering how things went with Joss Whedon, I’m very much down for anything that can fill the Firefly void for me.
Twenty years after the witch in the gingerbread house, Greta and Hans are struggling to get by. Their mother and stepmother are long dead, Hans is deeply in debt from gambling, and the countryside lies in ruin, its people starving in the aftermath of a brutal war.
Greta has a secret, though: the witch’s grimoire, secreted away and whispering in Greta’s ear for the past two decades, and the recipe inside that makes the best gingerbread you’ve ever tasted. As long as she can bake, Greta can keep her small family afloat.
But in a village full of superstition, Greta and her mysteriously addictive gingerbread, not to mention the rumors about her childhood misadventures, is a source of gossip and suspicion.
And now, dark magic is returning to the woods and Greta’s magic—magic she is still trying to understand—may be the only thing that can save her. If it doesn’t kill her first.
Why We’re Excited: I’ve always been a sucker for stories that take iconic classics/characters and throw in a new twist on them (perhaps that’s why I love Shrek and Puss in Boots so much…). It’s even better when authors not only give us a different take on what we thought we knew, but adds to mythos by crafting a new follow-up story. That’s exactly what After the Forest seems to be doing with the Hansel & Gretel fable and sounds like a lot of fun.
Honestly, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to fantasy and science fiction novels arriving this Fall. It’s a stacked next few months, but these five titles are the ones that caught my attention the most. Which books are you most looking forward to reading this season?
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