Queer SF - January 2027
January 5, 2027
This Lethal Love — Alicia Jasinska
Genre: YA romantasy
Rep: Queer; polyamory
Series: Book 2 of Spirits and Saints
Fall in love all over again with Alicia Jasinska’s enchanting spirit world steeped in Slavic folklore. This second entry in the queer romantasy duology Spirits and Saints teems with magic, mischief, and polyamorous romance.
After a kiss from Kazik, the town’s grumpy exorcist, restores Gisela’s humanity, she is finally free to leave the magical spa town of Lesna Woda and return to her mortal family. But a dark revelation roots her in Aleksey, the other boy she has fallen for, is possessed by a forest demon.
Tension flares between Gisela and Aleksey when they are forced to team up to help rescue a sky nymph, and Gisela finds herself torn about whether to spill Aleksey’s secret to Kazik. Would the exorcist destroy the demon to rescue the boy he’s possessed? And could Gisela bear to lose the Aleksey she’s fallen in love with?
When an old friend of Kazik’s forces Aleksey to reveal himself, Gisela is spirited away to the forest realm with Aleksey. There, she uncovers startling truths about the demon—and a plot to wrest control of Lesna Woda’s magical waters. Are all forest spirits wicked and bloodthirsty? Or are reparations and a mortal reckoning long overdue?
This darkly enchanting sequel to book one of the Spirits and Saints duology, This Fatal Kiss, is told in alternating points of view and introduces new spirits to readers while expanding its cozy, folkloric world. A queer friendly romance for readers who enjoy love triangles, beguiling mysteries, and grandfatherly house spirits masquerading as chubby orange cats!
Link: Goodreads
January 12, 2027
The Poison Palace — Shreya Ila Anasuya
Genre: Historical speculative fiction
Rep: Queer
In an ancient Indian kingdom, a poison maiden—trained to become the king’s assassin—is sent to stop Alexander the Great who would destroy her homeland.
Eka is only a child when she is taken from her mother and brought to the heart of the Magadh Empire. Adopted by the city’s foremost courtesan, she is trained in music and dance alongside her childhood friend Ira. But fate puts Eka and Ira on the path of the Vishkanya. They are inducted into the secret cult of a powerful goddess of snakes, initiated into the mysteries of poison and taught to wield its power over life and death.
When the king of Magadh hears that Alexander the Great is sweeping toward their lands, conquering as he goes, he sends Eka and Ira undercover to stop him, which they must do using only their cunning and poison arts. There, Eka must play a dangerous political game, all while her feelings for Ira surge into love. Raised to do the bidding of one king and faced with the terrible ambition of another, Eka must make a choice that will change the world...
A stunning blend of historical and speculative fiction, The Poison Palace tells the story of Alexander’s invasion of India as it has never been told before.
Link: Penguin Random House
Kill Your Darling — Mariana Costa
Genre: Fantasy
Rep: M/M
Some immortals live to fulfill their purpose. He’d rather live for himself.
Alyosha Mikhailov, avatar of Evil and continent-wide villain for roughly seven thousand years, is frankly over it. With his quiet manners and sensitive heart, the prophecy that keeps reincarnating him into the role of Big Bad feels less like fate and more like a cosmic joke. So he decides to do the unthinkable and ask for help from the only other immortal he knows―the avatar of Good. Otherwise known as Alyosha’s closest thing to a coworker and friend.
Casimir Alekhin is thriving. As the ever-popular avatar of Good, he’s perfectly pleased with the world and would happily clock another seven thousand years on his theoretical timecard. Sure, he has to stab Alyosha every few decades, but isn’t that basically a mild inconvenience when you’re talking about immortality? If only Alyosha would stop taking it so personally.
But as Alyosha digs for a way to shatter the prophecy once and for all, Casimir begins to worry that his friend isn’t confused―he’s serious. And the closer Alyosha gets to freedom, the more Casimir is forced to face a truth he’s avoided for millennia: forever only matters if you have someone to spend it with.
Link: Goodreads
The Flower Court — Kate Elliott
Genre: Romantic fantasy
Rep: Sapphic
Series: Standalone in established universe
Sapphic romance amidst a tale of palace intrigue from one of fantasy’s best—and best-loved—writers.
To secure her beloved grandmother’s rescue from a vindictive master, lowly servant Kyuri makes a desperate bargain with the noble Dorven. She must accompany him into the Flower Court at the heart of the imperial palace to search for his missing sister. But the fate of the sister is unclear, and seems to be bound up in a power struggle between ambitious princes.
In order to negotiate these dangerous currents, Kyuri is forced to work with Sulia, the Dowager Empress’s loveliest and most condescending servant. When the investigation leads the two women into deadly palace intrigue and exposes them to the threat of a ravenous fungal ghost plague, they must learn to trust each other in order to survive—and to have a hope of finding a future beyond servitude.
Link: Macmillan
Ascendancy — Emily Hamilton
Genre: Cyberpunk space opera
Rep: Queer
Series: Book 1 of The Ascendancy Trilogy
One thousand years after the collapse of Earth, on one of Jupiter’s many moons, Neev Alpha-Cilix meets Ida Arkimidias.
Neev, a pilot Apprenticed to the Jovian Ascendancy, has lived her entire life under the all-seeing gaze of the Council of Ascendants. Abandoned at the Europan Academy by their mother, Neev and her siblings learned never to question the Neionet or the chips in their heads. Ida, rescued from orphanhood and raised by the militant New Rhodes Reformation, believes that the Ascendancy’s iron grip on the last children of Earth will only end when humanity abandons its bodily form and embraces omniscience.
When a chance encounter at the Academy sparks a blazing mutual attraction, Neev begins to question everything and Ida’s faith wavers for the first time in her life. But their gravity-upending romance ends when Ida disappears without a trace, leaving Neev alone with her doubt and grief.
A decade later, Ida and the NRR stand on the precipice of a new age. One last bloody mission, and the Ascendancy will fall, making way for an era of true harmony. But when an echo of Ida’s past jeopardizes the mission, she flees again—this time toward a crew of Chipless anarchists, and the handsome Apprentice–turned–rebel–pilot whose familiar smile still sets her soul aflame. As lies are revealed, tyrannies fall, and war becomes an inevitability, their love may not be enough to stop them from ending up on opposite sides of the battlefield.
With a punch to the gut and a blade to the heart, Emily Hamilton’s Ascendancy marks a paradigm shift in the modern space opera, introducing an epic, riveting, queer cyberpunk trilogy about fanaticism and family; anarchy and authoritarianism; the hollow promise of technology and the power of the erotic; transhumanist death cults; sexy space Robin Hoods; and a love all-consuming enough to unite humanity or strike its killing blow.
Link: HarperCollins
Messy As Hell — Mark Waddell
Genre: Humorous fantasy
Rep: Gay
CAUTION! All employees must correctly dispose of otherworldly biohazards found on Dark Enterprises property. Failure to comply may result in one hell of a mess...
“If a door is closed, you leave it alone.”
That’s the one rule janitor Sam is given when he starts cleaning the infamous thirteenth floor of the Denver branch of Hell-like multinational corporation Dark Enterprises.
Sam is thrilled to be that much closer to his idol, Constantine Galanos, Denver’s ruthless and charming CEO, but he’s even more excited to uncover the tantalizing secrets lurking up on the executive level. Maybe he’ll find something juicier than tawdry workplace affairs and petty office gossip, something he can share with his closest friends, daredevil Mia and his secret crush Calvin.
When Sam comes across a closed door his first day on the new job, he thinks one little peek can’t hurt. But he’s dead wrong. Behind that door is a type-A biohazard—infernal materials from Hell on company property—and a deal that could spell doom for Dark Enterprises and Earth… signed by the CEO himself.
Sam is in deep trouble now, and the problems keep piling up. The CEO’s homicidal assistant wants Sam fired (read: killed), Calvin is literally losing his mind over a secret project, and there’s something very unusual about Mia’s emotional-support rabbit, Mr. Bun-Bun…
It’s a mess like no other, but Sam is a janitor at Dark Enterprises. If he can’t save humanity and the man of his dreams, no one can.
Link: Penguin Random House
January 19, 2027
Prince of Ash — K. M. Enright
Genre: Dark fantasy
Rep: Trans MMC; bi4bi polyam romance
Series: Book 3 of The Age of Blood
Their love will rise from the ashes of empire.
Shan LeClaire is playing a dangerous game of deception. As the doting fiancée to the vampire king, she commits atrocities in the crown's name while feeding secrets to her brother's rebellion. The smallest misstep could mean her ruin, but she will do whatever it takes to ensure the king's downfall. Even if he takes her down with him.
Isaac de la Cruz has embraced the monster within, walking the line between justice and vengeance. As a manananggal, Isaac tears down the Eternal King's forces with little thought for his own safety. But as the King's army of vampires take to the sky, Isaac realizes that one monster will not be enough to free the nation from its blood-stained history.
Stripped of his magic, Samuel is plagued by chronic migraines and a directionless rage. But before disowning him, the Eternal King left one final gift: Samuel's own blood can disrupt Blood Working. It's a power like nothing the world has seen before, and if it's all he can do to save his broken nations, Samuel is more than prepared to bleed.
Link: Goodreads
Harrowmark — Deva Fagan
Genre: Dark fantasy
Rep: Queer
The world is a broken one, held together only by magical portals and the Vespers, an ancient order clinging to its fight against the darkness. The Vespers are noble. They are gifted. They are pure. Or are they?
Three new recruits are poised to learn the unholy truth hiding behind the legends.
Princess Sennia is sick of political games. She longs for the simple, clear life of a Vesper, battling the wraiths that menace her crumbling world. But she soon discovers that the order, much like the court she left behind, is guarding dangerous secrets.
Ezerye, an idealistic scholar, has always believed the only true evil is ignorance: no harm could ever come of an honest search for knowledge. That conviction is tested when a mysterious presence begins to speak to her from within the portals, and Ezerye must decide just how far she’s willing to go for answers.
Jaskin has spent his entire life waiting to be consumed by his monstrous brother’s magic. Desperate for sanctuary, he casts himself upon the mercy of the Vespers—and gets far more than he bargained for. Flush with newfound powers, Jaskin finally has the chance to teach his dear twin what it feels like to be hunted.
In a world of perilous faith and unthinkable sacrifice, a princess, a scholar, and a runaway mage must join together and find the strength to confront the monsters without and within.
Link: Penguin Random House
Firstdawn — Lana Harper
Genre: Dark fantasy
Rep: Bi FMC; F/F & M/F
In this dark, sensual fantasy by New York Times bestselling author Lana Harper, a Chicago PI finds herself in a demonic realm where she must stop the forces threatening her world, with the help of two beguiling half-demons hellbent on winning her heart.
When Danica Marsden isn’t tailing cheaters or tracking missing persons, she’s grappling with a lifetime of chaos. Years of therapy haven’t helped; even the raucous barfights and one-night stands are losing their savor. Danica has learned to live with the fire inside her, along with the dreams that haunt her nights, of a celestial tree and a winged, divine woman who seems to know her.
Until the night her reality shatters.
Pursuing a target, Danica encounters a man whose face warps into something inhuman, yet familiar. Then her own reflection begins to flicker, revealing a stranger beneath her skin. Desperate for answers, she’s intercepted by two intoxicating half-demons with a taste for blood: Shahara, stunning and lethal, and her half-brother Rhavin, a charming predator with a gentle touch. They claim Danica isn’t who she thinks she is, and that her blood ties her to an infernal empire ruled by Lilith, goddess of serpents and shadows.
Drawn to both dae’val, Danica follows them to a lush, depraved realm of feral witches, hellbeasts, and captive gods. But Danica’s true heritage is only the beginning. If she can’t unravel the secret at her core and stop the forces gathering in Lilith’s court, her world will be the next to fall.
Her only chance at salvation lies with Rhavin and Shahara, who have been vying for her love for centuries. And they won’t settle for less now.
Link: Penguin Random House
January 26, 2027
King of Masks — Petra Lord
Genre: YA fantasy
Rep: Queer, sapphic, trans girl MC
Series: Book 2 of Queen of Faces
The sequel to the instant New York Times bestselling dark fantasy novel, Queen of Faces, finds Ana and Nell on opposite sides of a brutal war, as an ancient horror returns. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Brandon Sanderson, and R.F. Kuang.
Anabelle Gage emerged from the ashes of Paragon Academy having done the impossible—slaying the infamous Black Wraith, and stealing her body. As Caimor and Shenten race toward all-out war, Ana will risk everything to save her loved ones caught in the crossfire. Her friend Korin has been imprisoned by a vicious Shenti warlord, and has only days to live. To save him from execution, Ana and her allies must cross rising seas and withstand enemies on all sides.
Across the ocean, Nell Ebbridge is reunited with her father, Caimor’s ruthless king, and find herself torn between her duty and her feelings for Ana. As she draws closer to dark truths, Nell must decide who she is willing to become—and who she is willing to sacrifice.
Krakens prowl the seas and ancient horrors stir beneath the waves. As armies clash and loyalties fracture, Ana and Nell are set on a devastating collision course.
Link: Macmillan
Death Wish — Lilly Lu
Genre: Paranormal romance
Rep: Sapphic
A jaded reaper falls for the soul who got away—a vampire dying for something new—in this supernatural sapphic romance filled with yearning, fated love, and hope for the future.
It’s been more than a century since Amory Ng woke up in an office with no memory of her life (or death). Now she’s the reigning Best West Coast Reaper, floating through the Veil and ferrying Souls to... whatever comes next.
When she is granted two nights a week in the mortal world, Amory decides to take a pottery class. Her bowls may be a little lopsided, but creating something with her hands and being around humans makes her feel alive. Until she comes face-to-face with Clementine Lim, the only Soul Amory has failed to Reap, and somehow Clem can see through the Veil and through Amory’s façade.
Clem has lived a full life as a vampire, but now she’s ready to move on. Which is why she tracked down the Reaper who didn’t finish the job. Tempted to erase the one mistake hanging over her head, Amory agrees to help, but killing a vampire isn’t easy—let alone a vampire you start to have feelings for.
The pull between them only grows stronger as Clem shows Amory how to live her afterlife to the fullest. But when they learn that Clem’s maker, a murderous vampire, is running rampant, it’s up to them to stop him.
Link: Penguin Random House
Godburned — Foz Meadows
Genre: Dark fantasy
Rep: Queer
Series: Book 1 of The Weight and the Measure
A godtouched arbiter of justice and his prickly new conscript unravel a conspiracy that could bring down everything they stand for in the first of a clever and cutting queer epic fantasy series about autonomy, justice, and trauma, for fans of Martha Wells and Robert Jackson Bennett.
In the Jaosi Empire, magic is gifted by the gods: a blessed reward for the worthy devout. But not for Kas. Twice, the gods have come uninvited, investing him with their power at the worst moments of his life, and twice, Kas has refused to serve.
When three teenagers go missing in the poorest part of Jahovai, where neither the city guards nor the Measure bother to pursue justice, Kas knows that if he doesn’t find them, no one will. But when his search goes devastatingly wrong, a third god visits him—and in the aftermath, Kas is conscripted to the Measure.
Peacekeeper and investigator Nema is tasked with inducting Kas into his new life. A nobleman who represents everything Kas despises, Nema nonetheless offers to help his new partner find the missing boys as a gesture of goodwill.
But the search soon turns ugly, pointing to corruption at the highest levels. Nema and Kas must learn to cooperate, and fast: together, they may uncover the truth, but the more they learn, the more they have to lose...
Link: Goodreads