Fantasy and Science Fiction February 2026
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| Son of the Morning by Akwaeke EmeziTenderhearted Galilee has always felt a deep aching, knowing that she is different than the other women from her sequestered clan. When she meets Lucifer Helel and sees right through his facade as security head for a wealthy family, she realizes he is not human -- and neither is she. Akwaeke Emezi's latest takes their skills in a new direction with a steamy and evocative dark fantasy set in the Black South that will delight romantasy fans. |
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| The Everlasting by Alix E. HarrowSir Una Everlasting's legend as a courageous knight has been memorialized in story, but her life itself has been forgotten. Centuries later, Owen Mallory's love of her tale suddenly takes him back in time to Una herself, where they will be entangled in a story bound to repeat over and over again unless they rewrite history. For fans of: knighthood fantasy with compelling characters and intricate storytelling, such as Lev Grossman's "The Bright Sword". |
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| The Place Where They Buried Your Heart by Christina HenryJessie Campanelli has lived for years with the guilt of daring her little brother Paul to enter the abandoned house on her street, only for him to never come back out. Now that she has a child of her own, she must finally confront the evil that broke her family apart.This horror-laden fantasy will grip fans who are looking for compelling family dramas. |
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| Graceless Heart by Isabel IbañezDesperate to save her brother, sculptress Ravenna Maffei reveals her magic ability during a competition in a city where magic is forbidden. Ravenna is then kidnapped by a powerful immortal family and taken to Florence, where her powers put her in the middle of a struggle for power and catch the attention of the family heir. For fans of: historical romantasy with enemies-to-lovers romance and intricate magic worldbuilding, such as "Heavenly Bodies" by Imani Erriu. |
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| The Strength of the Few by James IslingtonFollowing the events of "The Will of the Many", Vis Telimus has fractured himself into three separate realities. With each reality facing its own extinction-level threat, Vis may be the only one who can stop each one from happening. Rich with detail and lore, this sequel to James Islington's highly acclaimed previous book offers "evocative prose and nuanced ruminations on the nature of power and sacrifice" ('Publishers Weekly') that fans of R.F. Kuang's "The Poppy War" will devour. |
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| A Love Story from the End of the World: Stories by Juhea KimIn this dystopian collection of short stories, people's lives are defined and transformed by human connection and desire for love in a world shaped by climate change and other global events. Told with nuance and care for showing the effects of trauma on the protagonists of each story, Juhea Kim's collection will resonate with readers looking for thoughtful dystopian narratives. |
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| The Happiness Collector by Crystal KingHistorian Aida Reale thinks she has it made when a friend recommends her for her dream job in Italy. However, cracks slowly begin to appear in the facade as she and her new colleague Luciano do more research into her company, until she realizes that they are simply pawns in a game being played by the gods. Crystal King's contemporary fantasy also serves as an alternate history taking place between 2018-2021, where "urban fantasy, unexpected romance, and mythology all collide" ('Booklist'). |
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| You Weren't Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph WhiteThough hives of festering worms have taken over Appalachia, life isn't so bad for Crane: he's been able to transition, he doesn't have to talk, and he has Levi, who treats him like a man, mostly. But when Levi gets Crane pregnant and the Hive demands he carry the baby to term, Crane realizes that his body is his only value to them and he'll have to fight to keep it to himself. Andrew Joseph White's adult debut is a gruesome and thought-provoking trans body horror nightmare for fans of "Brainwyrms" by Alison Rumfitt and "Manhunt" by Gretchen Felker-Martin. |
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Isles of the Emberdark: A Cosmere Novel
by Brandon Sanderson
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson comes a legendary standalone novel that navigates the seas and the stars of a far-future Cosmere. All his life, Sixth of the Dusk has been a traditional trapper of Aviar--the supernatural birds his people bond with--on the deadly island of Patji. Then one fateful night he propels his people into a race to modernize before they can be conquered by the Ones Above, invaders from the stars who want to exploit the Aviar. But it's a race they're losing, and Dusk fears his people will lose themselves in the effort. When a chance comes to sail into the expanse of the emberdark beyond a mystical portal, Dusk sets off to find his people's salvation with only a canoe, his birds, and all the grit and canniness of a Patji trapper.
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Boy, with Accidental Dinosaur
by Ian McDonald
"How to Train Your Dragon" meets "Mad Max" in this story of an orphan in a fractured Southwest who just wants to ride a dinosaur under the lights. Come one, come all to the dinosaur rodeo! Tif Tamim wants nothing more than to be a dinosaur buckaroo. An orphan in search of a place to rest his head and a job to weigh down his pockets, Tif has bounced from circus to circus, yearning for a chance to ride a prehistoric beauty under the sparkling lights of a big-top. To become a buckaroo, Tif needs to learn the tools of the trade, yet few dino maestros want to take a scrawny nobody from nowhere under their wing. But when Tif frees a dino from an abusive owner and braves the roving gangs of the formerly-American west to bring the dino to safety, he catches someone's eye. And boy, how those eyes dazzle Tif from the back of a bucking carnotaur.
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