Queer SF - September 2025
September 1, 2025
Hollow — Taylor Grothe
Genre: YA horror
Rep: Bi+ MC; non-binary LI; autism & anxiety
Don’t Let the Forest In meets The Whispering Dark in a queer YA cult horror following a recently diagnosed autistic teen who becomes enmeshed in a community of outcasts harboring sinister secrets.
After a meltdown in her school cafeteria prompts an unwanted autism diagnosis, Cassie Davis moves back to her hometown in upstate New York, where her mom hopes the familiarity will allow Cassie to feel normal again. Cassie’s never truly felt normal anywhere, but she does crave the ease she used to have with her old friends.
Problem is that her friends aren’t so eager to welcome her back into the fold. They extend an olive branch by inviting her on their backpacking trip to Hollow Ridge, in the upper reaches of the Adirondacks. But when a fight breaks out their first night, Cassie wakes to a barren campsite—her friends all gone.
With severe weather approaching and nearing sensory overload, Cassie is saved by a boy named Kaleb, who whisks her away to a compound of artists and outcasts he calls the Roost. As Kaleb tends to her injuries, Cassie begins to feel—for the first time in her life—that she can truly be herself. But as the days pass, strange happenings around the Roost make Cassie question her instincts. Noises in the trees grow louder, begging the question: Are the dangers in the forest, on the trail, or in the Roost itself?
In a world where autistic characters rarely get to be the hero of their own stories, Cassie Davis’s one-step-back, two-steps-forward journey to unmasking makes Hollow as much a love letter to neurodiversity as it is a haunting tale you’ll want to read with the lights on.
Link: Goodreads
Inside a Dark Space — M.J. James
Genre: Science fiction, dystopian
Rep: Lesbian MC; non-binary autistic MC
Finch was sent to the moon as a canary. They were one of the expendable—a soul desperate enough to risk their life for the safety of the ‘real’ astronauts. A decade later, they are the last canary left alive. Alone at the first lunar water mining station, Finch finds peace in solitude and the safety of routine.
Ray grew up hearing her father rant about corporations ‘making the moon gay.’ For her, that sounded like hope. She shaped her life around reaching a place where she could finally come out.
Except when she arrived on the moon to start a research project, Ray was left at a station with only one occupant—Finch.
Finch may have sparked Ray’s journey, but life together in a dark crater proves far more complicated. Finch struggles to connect. Ray craves belonging. Both are haunted by what they left behind—and what the moon has in store for them.
Inside a Dark Space is the first book in the Lunar Abyss series—a queer, autistic science fiction story about survival and the quiet rebellion of staying alive on your own terms.
Link: Goodreads
September 2, 2025
Angel Maker — Elizabeth Bear
Genre: Steampunk
Rep: Sapphic
Series: Book 3 of Karen Memory
Every cowboy story needs a horse no man can ride.
No man—but Miss Karen Memery is all woman. When she and her beloved Priya sign on to do stunts for a motion picture about a rogue Mechanical named Cowboy and a Wild West show, she finds the horse of her dreams: Angel Maker.
Her plans to rescue him from a deadly stunt are ambitious enough, but she’s soon beset by even greater threats when two men are murdered brutally. Cowboy and Priya are arrested for the crime, and Karen must prove them innocent—and save the life of the wild stallion too!
Link: Goodreads
Bad in the Blood — Matteo L. Cerilli
Genre: YA fantasy
Rep: Queer
In a world where magical beings, fey, are mistrusted and often institutionalized, a human brother and fey sister must team up to solve a bizarre murder in this 1920s-inspired queer teen fantasy novel.
In the city of Puck’s Port, where motorized vehicles fill the streets and new technological marvels abound, something rotten is lurking under the surface. A violent murder at the docks seems to point to a fey killer, igniting a powder keg of distrust between the city’s humans and its fey inhabitants—folks who wield wonderful but often uncontrollable magical power.
Gristle Senan Maxim Junior finds himself caught in the middle. Forced into the reluctant role of private investigator, like his late father, he’s working to solve the mystery of this fiery murder... mainly because his sister, Hawthorne Stregoni, is a fey herself with an unfortunate penchant for setting things ablaze.
Hawthorne is part of an experimental study to control feyism but struggles to keep her powerful magic in check in a country that hates what she is. Can she and Gristle work together to find the true instigator of the murder before it’s too late?
Link: Goodreads
Moonflow — Bitter Karella
Genre: Horror
Rep: Trans MC
Moonflow is three-time Hugo Award nominee Bitter Karella’s debut horror novel—a gloriously queer and irreverent psychedelic trip into the heart of an eldritch wood and the horrors of sisterhood. Answer the call of the forest, if you dare.
I see something out there, in the woods. It does not have a face.
They call it the King’s Breakfast. One bite and you can understand the full scope of the universe; one bite and you can commune with forgotten gods beyond human comprehension. And it only grows deep in the Pamogo forest, where the trees crowd so tight that the forest floor is pitch black day and night, where rumors of strange cults and disappearing hikers abound.
Sarah makes her living growing mushrooms. When a bad harvest leaves her in a desperate fix, the lure of the King’s Breakfast has her journeying into those vast uncharted woods. Her only guide is the most annoying man in the world, and he’s convinced there’s no danger. But as they descend deeper, they realize they’re not alone. Something is luring them into the heart of the forest, and they must answer its call.
Link: Goodreads
A Blood as Bright as the Moon — Andrea Morstabilini
Genre: Gothic horror
Rep: Queer
A vampire, desperately torn between worlds, is hunted down by a secret society bent on his destruction, in this elegiac and unsettling queer gothic horror, perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher and Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
Frankenstein, Germany. Ambrose, a young vampire, lives a life secreted away from the modern world with the rest of his clan, all of them under the spell of the charismatic Regina, who spins stories of salvation for their kind. Their grand plan? To build makeshift wings and fly to the moon where a safe haven awaits for all vampires.
But Ambrose harbours a secret: he is not ready to abandon the earth, and he is in contact with a human who believes he can be saved. As the rest of his kind prepare to flee their home, Ambrose is torn between loyalties.
However, something else is on the horizon—the Royal Diurnal Society, a group with sinister plans for vampires, are closing in, and if Ambrose isn’t careful, he could find himself right at the centre of a terrifying and mysterious experiment.
Link: Goodreads
Curses & Cold Brew — Ali K. Mulford & K. Elle Morrison
Genre: Cozy paranormal romcom
Rep: F/F
Series: Book 2 of Maple Hollow
A witch makes a deal with an irresistible demon, but when souls start to go missing, all Hell breaks loose...
Maple Hollow is known for its endless October charm, gossiping ghosts, and pumpkin spice everything. Not the sort of town you’d imagine a designer suit-wearing demon to call home. But when Ramona Henry’s souls start to go missing, she sets out to find the thief, and that means reluctantly calling in the help of a certain apothecary witch who bears her mark.
Iris Stonewood is more than Maple Hollow’s most flirtatious witch—she’s also a thrill-seeking thorn in Ramona’s side. Bored of being the third wheel to her two best friends, Iris decides she’s going to be the Watson to Ramona’s Sherlock. Their banter is sharper than a vampire’s grin–and twice as deadly.
Now that souls are vanishing faster than candy on Halloween night, will Iris and Ramona be able to catch the culprit before it turns its ghoulish gaze on Iris?
Everyone’s a suspect, from the broomstick busybodies to the vampire knitting club. With the mystery unfolding, Iris and Ramona hunt through the shadows to unmask the villain while trying to ignore their sizzling chemistry that burns hotter than a Halloween bonfire.
Link: Goodreads
The Entanglement of Rival Wizards — Sara Raasch
Genre: Fantasy academia romcom
Rep: M/M
Series: Book 1 of Magic and Romance
Ali Hazelwood meets Dungeons & Dragons in this enemies-to-lovers fantasy academia romcom where rival grad student wizards are forced to work together without killing―or falling for―each other.
Will they conjure love, or evoke chaos? Two rival wizards are about to find out.
Sebastian Walsh: twenty-four. Grad student at Lesiara University in the Mageus of Evocation program. Human. The first of his family to go to college rather than the military (and it goes over at family get-togethers about as well as you’d think).
Elethior Tourael: also twenty-four. Also a grad student, but in the far more inferior Mageus of Conjuration program. Half-elf. The latest in a long line of Touraels to grace the hallowed halls of Lesiara U (what would the world do if the Touraels ran out of rich douches to lead their magical weapons manufacturing empire?).
―and the other finalist for the Mageus Research Grant.
Sebastian needs that grant to fund the last few months of research for his degree, after which he’ll get a job that actually helps people. He isn’t about to let anyone snatch this from him, least of all a snob who doesn’t even need the money because his family is loaded thanks to war profiteering.
But there’s something worse than having a conceited academic nemesis steal grant money from you: you could be forced to work with him. Thio is secretive, broody, and his stunning biceps take up far too much shared lab space―but even as volatile as their partnership is, Sebastian just might find himself falling for his rival―and it could blow up his whole future.
Link: Goodreads
September 4, 2025
What a Fish Looks Like — Syr Hayati Beker
Genre: Literary speculative fiction
Rep: Queer
What are the stories we need to survive?
In ten days, the last spaceship is leaving for a new planet. Some of us will stay on Earth. How do we decide?
#TeamEarth. Once upon a time, the oceans were full of fish and the forests dark with brambles. Seb read about it in a book of fairy tales, and memory means hope.
#TeamShip. Adaptation means knowing when to walk away. Jay is ready. So their ex, Seb, shows up on the dance floor, T-minus-10. What’s the harm in one last dance?
What if the stories themselves are evolving?
Told in margin notes, posters, letters scrawled on napkins, and six retellings of classic fairy tales, What A Fish Looks Like gathers the stories of a queer community co-creating one another through the strange landscapes of climate change, wondering who is going to love us when there are not, in fact, plenty of fish in the sea.
And now this book belongs to you.
Link: Goodreads
A Blazing Fury — Mell R. Bright
Genre: Steampunk fantasy romance
Rep: M/M
Captain Jayce Hawkins’ merry crew of fire scroungers needs one thing to do their job properly: a decent dragoner. A specialist of dragons who doesn’t mind doing a little of bloody work to scavenge the winged creatures’ carcasses and gather the precious liquid fire coveted all over Hargos. But dragoners willing to leave the ground and risk their lives in the wild don’t come by often, and when they do, they’re rarely made for such an adventurous life.
Harlow Prince is a dragoner freshly graduated from the famous university of Dragonest and he’s on a quest. No matter how infuriating he finds the captain of The Blunder to be—and scary the idea to live on a pirate ship held aloft by a hot-air balloon and hopes—he’s ready to suck it up to get closer to the objects of his obsession: dragons.
A BLAZING FURY is a dual POV standalone steampunk fantasy M/M romance. It includes a crew of endearing idiots, a cool airship, adventures and travels all over a fantasy kingdom, dragons (obviously), and a fair amount of smut.
Link: Goodreads
September 8, 2025
The Driftcap Inn — Kate Valent
Genre: Cozy fantasy
Rep: M/M
Series: Book 1 of The Innkeepers of Itharos
Howl’s Moving Castle meets Legends & Lattes in this cozy fantasy set on a magical inn in the sky.
Welcome to The Driftcap Inn, a cozy perch among the clouds. Drift on in and stay awhile!
In all of Itharos no inn is more enchanting—or peculiar—than The Driftcap Inn, a cozy haven in the sky carved from a giant floating mushroom. Its owner, Eino the Wanderer, enjoys a life of breathtaking views and freedom from the petty wars and political intrigue of the kingdoms below. But a home set adrift in the vast, empty skies can also be unbearably lonely.
When a handsome and enigmatic apothecary named Joren comes aboard, an unexpected companionship blossoms between the two men, stirring the possibility of something deeper. But their peaceful journey through the clouds is shattered when a string of unsettling events threatens to send Eino’s home plummeting to the ground.
Something wicked is spreading its roots across The Driftcap Inn, and Eino suspects there’s much more to it than just bad luck. With dark secrets surrounding every guest and danger creeping ever closer, Eino must decide who he can trust with his life—and with his heart.
Link: Goodreads
September 9, 2025
The Haunting of William Thorn — Ben Alderson
Genre: Horror, paranormal
Rep: M/M
The Notebook meets The Haunting of Hill House in this split timeline queer twisted love story, set against the backdrop of a haunted English manor.
William Thorn had his life all planned out… until he discovered his long-term boyfriend Archie in bed with another man. Distraught, William kicks him out of their home, where tragedy strikes when Archie is killed instantly in a car accident.
Riddled with guilt, William is shocked to learn that he’s inherited a manor in the quaint village of Stonewall, left to him in Archie’s will. He leaves the city with plans to make a new start for himself, but is surprised by the rundown state of the manor, and the unwelcoming villagers who want him gone. His only ally is Edward, a seemingly friendly local with secrets of his own.
However, it’s not only the villagers who are adverse to his presence. A malevolent spirit roams the manor, one that seeks to drive William out for good. But when he uncovers the heartbreaking tale of two men in love in the 1920s, William strives to find peace for the spirit, ending the haunting once and for all.
But what dark secrets lie hidden in the manor walls? And will William be able to put aside his own grief to save his new home... and his life?
An evocative tale from #1 bestselling author Ben Alderson, exploring grief, trauma and the bones of the past, The Haunting of William Thorn is the perfect read for fans of the gothic.
Link: Goodreads
Ruined History — Claudie Arseneault
Genre: Fantasy
Rep: Asexual, aromantic, non-binary, lesbian
Series: Book 6 of The Chronicles of Nerezia
Fate and friendship brought Horace, Rumi, Keza, and Aliyah together in Rumi’s sentient self-propelling wagon. They seek the forest haunting Aliyah’s dream, hoping for answers about the elf’s past and unique abilities—but first, they need to traverse a world haunted by Fragments, dangerous shards that can possess travellers and react to Aliyah’s presence.
When the Archivists—a mysterious organization that has trailed the crew from the very start—capture everyone but Aliyah, however, their journey grinds to a halt. Still reeling from revelations about themselves, Aliyah must infiltrate the Archivists’ base to rescue their group. The place is half ruined city, half magical wonder—a labyrinth to navigate which will require the help of two unlikely allies: Fragment motes from past citizens willing to guide Aliyah.
To confront the Archivists is to uncover more of the inextricable truths between Aliyah and the Fragments. With every new revelation, the fractures in the Wagon crew’s cohesion and Aliyah’s determination widen. Before they can travel onward, they will need to find the strength to bear the weight of their ruined history.
Link: Author’s Website
Elegy of the Stars — J. J. DE GROOT
Genre: Dark fantasy
Rep: Queer
Dive into an apocalyptic medieval world from multiple perspectives in this standalone debut novel from award-nominated author J. J. DE GROOT that combines the epic horror of Attack on Titan with the religious mysteries of Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose.
The Horsemen are here, and they aren’t leaving until the last remaining kingdom is burned to the ground.
Fifteen-year-old Balmung works as a necromancer, negotiating with malevolent ghosts and helping lost souls pass on. His goal? Join the Necromancy Guild—trusted by Brevaria’s High Astrologers to protect their kingdom from the Horsemen—and repay Guild leader Magdalene for saving his life.
To earn her favor and a place at her side, Balmung must journey into the heart of Horsemen territory and retrieve a holy relic that could save Brevaria. The quest sets him on a collision course with others seeking its power: Roma, an astrologer determined to bargain her way out of a political marriage, and Dieter, an undercover prince who must dethrone Brevaria’s king if he wants to save his people.
New horrors lurk in the ruins of fallen nations, and longstanding truths begin to crack. What is the true nature of the relic they’re after, and are the Horsemen really mankind’s greatest threat?
Link: Goodreads
An Unbreakable World — Ren Hutchings
Genre: Space opera
Rep: Sapphic
A petty thief is kidnapped to take part in the heist of a lifetime in this space opera from the author of Under Fortunate Stars.
If something seems too good to be real, you’ve got to get out of there.
That’s the rule that Page Found has always followed. She’s a petty thief with no memory of her past, scrounging to survive on a backwater outpost—until she’s kidnapped by one of her marks.
Her kidnappers—the cruel, self-serving Zhak and the tough maverick Maelle—plan to pass Page off as a monk from an ancient, isolated planet to help them capture a treasure-filled ship. If Page is willing to play along, they all stand to become richer than they can imagine.
Everyone is keeping secrets, and Maelle finds her loyalties conflicted as she gets closer to their captive. Page can’t remember the last time she counted on anyone. But to navigate this deception, she and Maelle will have to trust each other to survive.
Link: Geni.us
The Macabre — Kosoko Jackson
Genre: Dark fantasy, horror
Rep: Queer
From award-winning and USA Today bestselling author Kosoko Jackson comes his adult fantasy debut, a stand-alone novel blending of art history, time- and globe-hopping adventure, and dark horror and fantasy about ten cursed paintings and the lengths people will go to collect them, destroy them… or be destroyed.
A picture is worth a thousand nightmares.
A struggling painter, Lewis Dixon is shocked when the British Museum shows an unusual interest in his art. While he’s always felt there’s something powerful about what he puts on canvas, he also felt there was something disturbing just under the surface—especially as he was compelled to make a painting of a painting—one that he has a connection the object of his art is one of the ten paintings his great-grandfather created over a hundred years ago. Only Lewis’s version is surreal… and maybe just a touch horrific.
Still, he accepts the invitation, only to find not a curated show, but a to see if he not only has the magic necessary to enter the paintings, but also the strength to escape them. Because unbeknownst to Lewis, there is power in his art, just as the ten paintings carry with them both immense eldritch abilities and a terrible curse—making them, perhaps, the most valuable works of art in the world.
And Lewis has been asked to destroy them all.
With orders from a mysterious museum official, Evangeline, and partnered with an alluring agent in her employ, Noah Rao, Lewis must plunge into a world of black markets, gothic magic, ancient history, and unspeakable terror to save those unlucky enough to call any of the paintings their own, and to hopefully locate the tenth painting in the series, long missing, the powers of which are suspected to be most devastating of all…
Link: Goodreads
We Are Always Tender with Our Dead — Eric LaRocca
Genre: Horror
Rep: Queer
Series: Book 1 of Burnt Sparrow
Michael McDowell’s Blackwater meets Clive Barker’s The Great and Secret Show in the disturbing first installment of a new trilogy of intense, visceral, beautifully written queer horror set in a small New England town.
The lives of those residing in the isolated town of Burnt Sparrow, New Hampshire, are forever altered after three faceless entities arrive on Christmas morning to perform a brutal act of violence—a senseless tragedy that can never be undone. While the townspeople grieve their losses and grapple with the aftermath of the attack, a young teenage boy named Rupert Cromwell is forced to confront the painful realities of his family situation. Once relationships become intertwined and more carnage ensues as a result of the massacre, the town residents quickly learn that true retribution is futile, cruelty is earned, and certain thresholds must never be crossed no matter what.
Engrossing, atmospheric, and unsettling, this is a devastating story of a small New England community rocked by an unforgivable act of violence. Writing with visceral intensity and profound eloquence, LaRocca journeys deep into the dark heart of Burnt Sparrow, leaving you chilled to the bone and wanting more.
Link: Goodreads
The Maiden and Her Monster — Maddie Martinez
Genre: Fantasy
Rep: Sapphic
Rooted in fairy tales, folklore, and sapphic romance, The Maiden and Her Monster by Maddie Martinez is perfect for readers of Katherine Arden, Ava Reid and Naomi Novik.
As the healer’s daughter, Malka has seen how the forest’s curse has plagued her village. But when the Ozmini Church comes to collect its tithe, they don’t listen to the warnings about a monster lurking in the trees. After a clergy girl wanders too close to the forest and Malka’s mother is accused of her murder, Malka strikes an impossible bargain with a zealot Ozmini priest: if she brings him the monster, he will spare her mother from execution.
Venturing into the blood-soaked woods, Malka finds a monster, albeit not the one she expects: an inscrutable, disgraced golem who agrees to implicate herself if Malka will help to free the imprisoned rabbi who created her.
But a deal easily made is not easily kept. And as their bargain begins to unveil a much more sinister threat, protecting her people may force Malka to endanger the one person she left home to save—and to face her growing feelings for the very creature she was taught to fear.
Link: Goodreads
Everything She Does Is Magic — Bridget Morrissey
Genre: YA contemporary fantasy
Rep: Sapphic
In the charming town of Fableview, every day is Halloween. Get ready to fall under the spell of this bewitching sapphic romance, perfect for fans of Gilmore Girls and Wicked!
Darcy Keller, resident ray of sunshine and town spirit princess, loves every moment of Fableview’s fall festivities. But she’s also really ready to leave for college next year, even though her parents expect her to stay and take over their Halloween empire.
Enter brooding new girl Anya Doyle, a real-life witch and almost a full member of her coven. In order to be initiated, she has to choose a mortal ally to act as her “protector.” But having moved around so much, Anya is completely friendless. So she does what any self-respecting teenage almost-witch would—she lies and tells her coven her secret crush, Darcy, is willing to do the job.
Desperate to solve their personal problems, they agree to help each other out, attending everything from a costume parade to a pumpkin patch party to an apple bobbing contest together. But with Anya’s magical powers and Darcy’s future independence on the line, the last thing they need is the added complication of pesky feelings...
Link: Goodreads
The Most Unusual Haunting of Edgar Lovejoy — Roan Parrish
Genre: Cozy paranormal romance
Rep: Queer; M/X; transmasc
Jamie Wendon-Dale may design haunted houses, but they don’t actually believe in ghosts—until they meet Edgar Lovejoy, who is tall, clever, beautiful… and 100% haunted.
Jamie Wendon-Dale (transmasc they/them) creates haunted houses for a living. Haunting is their life—but nobody working New Orleans’ spooky circuit actually believes in ghosts.
Edgar Lovejoy (cis he/him) is 100% haunted. No, really. Ghosts have tormented him since childhood and he’s organized his life around attempts to avoid them.
Opposites? Get ready to attract. But while Jamie’s biggest concern is that Edgar sometimes seems a bit distracted, Edgar’s fears are much greater. Not only is he scared of encountering the dearly departed whenever he leaves the house, but he’s terrified of making himself vulnerable to Jamie. After all, how do you tell someone who believes ghosts only exist as smoke and mirrors that you see them everywhere you go? And how can you trust in a happy future when you can’t even believe in yourself?
A little spooky, a little magical, and a whole lot cozy: The (Most Unusual) Haunting of Edgar Lovejoy will leave you feeling like you’ve found a brand new bookish family of your own.
Link: Goodreads
A Hexcellent Chance to Fall in Love — Ann Rose
Genre: Paranormal romance
Rep: F/F
In this slightly spooky paranormal romance, will two women finally break their curse and get the happily ever after they’ve fought for?
Each year, when no one is paying attention, The Dead of Night Halloween store appears in a new location with its giant sign and great low prices. No one sees them setting up or tearing down—one day it’s just there and then, two days after Halloween, it’s gone.
Pepper White knows exactly how this works. For five years, ever since the last Keeper of the Store tricked her, she has been cursed—appearing when the store does, and disappearing when it goes away. People will remember The Dead of Night, but they’ll completely forget Pepper. That is, until Christina Loring walks in the door. Their chemistry is instantaneous and, for the first time in five years, Pepper finds herself wishing for more time.
But how do you tell the girl you’re falling for that you’re cursed and that you only have ten weeks together before Christina forgets... everything? To have a chance at happily ever after, Pepper has to do the one thing she swore she wouldn’t—find the right treat to trick someone else into taking on the curse. But all’s fair in love and spells, and this spooky season, Pepper and Christina are ready to stir up trouble in the name of love.
Link: Goodreads
You Weren’t Meant to be Human — Andrew Joseph White
Genre: Science fiction, horror
Rep: Trans man MC; MLM
Alien meets Midsommar in this chilling debut adult novel from award-winning author Andrew Joseph White about identity, survival, and transformation amidst an alien invasion in rural West Virginia.
Festering masses of worms and flies have taken root in dark corners across Appalachia. In exchange for unwavering loyalty and fresh corpses, these hives offer a few struggling humans salvation. A fresh start. It’s an offer that none refuse.
Crane is grateful. Among his hive’s followers, Crane has found a chance to transition, to never speak again, to live a life that won’t destroy him. He even met Levi: a handsome ex-Marine and brutal killer who treats him like a real man, mostly. But when Levi gets Crane pregnant—and the hive demands the child’s birth, no matter the cost—Crane’s desperation to make it stop will drive the community that saved him into a devastating spiral that can only end in blood.
You Weren’t Meant to Be Human is a deeply personal horror; a visceral statement about the lives of marginalized people in a hostile world, echoing the works of Stephen Graham Jones and Eric LaRocca.
Link: Goodreads
The Lone Wolf Café — Sydney Wilder
Genre: Cozy paranormal romance
Rep: Sapphic
When a runaway werewolf gets a job at a reclusive witch’s cafe, more than just tea ends up brewing in this cozy, sapphic Halloween romance.
Nettie Clarke has never known the world beyond Hollenboro, her tiny home island off the coast of Maine. So when she abruptly flees with few belongings, no money, and no idea where to go, things get complicated.
Mainly because she’s a werewolf.
After arriving on the mainland, she comes across Wisteria Grove, a witch village hidden deep in the forest, and seeks shelter in a local cafe. There, she is confronted the owner, Rowena Hawthorne, the town’s surly and introverted herbalist. Impressed by Nettie’s baking skills, Rowena makes her an work as the cafe’s resident baker and pretend to be a witch, and she’ll be paid enough to make it worth her time.
At first it seems like a great deal, and Nettie only plans to stay for a few weeks before taking off to see the rest of the world. But as the days pass, her baking skills grow, she befriends the local elementals, and she (reluctantly) finds Rowena attractive. All of which makes it harder for her to leave.
But as Nettie and Rowena’s bond deepens, so does the danger. Nettie’s safety is at stake if the village finds out she’s a werewolf, and her ears and tail won’t stop popping out when she gets stressed. And Nettie isn’t the only one with a secret to hide. Wisteria Grove is full of mysteries, all of which seem to trace back to Rowena. Despite warnings from the rest of the village, Nettie continues to fall for the herbalist witch, eager to discover the truth.
But the past has its claws sunk deep into Wisteria Grove, and Nettie will have to confront her own secrets—as well as Rowena’s—to stay in the town she’s grown to love.
Link: Goodreads
September 10, 2025
Remnants of Relics: An Anthology of Loss & Gain — Jake Vanguard, et al.
Genre: Speculative anthology
Rep: Queer
Remnants of Relics brings you the work of fifteen authors with a curated selection of short stories and poems around the themes of queerness and the importance of parts; be it body parts or, more abstractly, concepts like the part identity plays in our lives.
At the heart of this collection are the struggles and joys one works with when losing or gaining a new part of themselves. Pain and joy are close to each other—a constant cycle humanity moves through.
Link: Goodreads
September 11, 2025
Quick and the Dead — Josie Jaffrey
Genre: Dark fantasy
Rep: Sapphic
Series: Book 3 of Quicksilver
This is how the world ends: with a drip, drip, drip…
All is not well with the crew of former pirate Bartholomew Roberts. As the day of his great vampire revelation dawns, his mansion is a powder keg of untrained Silver, and what little control he holds over them is beginning to disintegrate.
Kulika is concerned, but she’s even more concerned about what he’s been keeping in his wine cellar. With the whole world about to descend on the mansion for the launch of his new regime, it feels like a bad time to be messing around with mutated zombies and long-incarcerated Silver.
At least Quick is out of harm’s way. Now that she’s found her best friend, they’re getting on the first plane out of Charleston while the going’s good. Quick might not understand why Bartholomew’s letting them leave, but she’s not stupid enough to hang around asking questions either.
All she has to do is get to the airport. That’s not a lot to ask, is it?
Link: Goodreads
September 13, 2025
Haroun and the Study of Mischief — Lynn Strong
Genre: Fantasy
Rep: Queer
Series: Standalone in established universe
Venerable Haroun, the blind saluqi priest of the dog-headed god Yepuet, has come to the wild and collarless Tel-Bastet, the City of Cats, for an education in mischief.
And Haroun has never met a crime of fashion he wouldn’t commit.
Shai Madhur, the disabled human priest of Upaja, thought accepting Haroun’s leash meant being Haroun’s seeing-eye human. He wasn’t prepared for the political machinations… or for Haroun’s blossoming sense of humor.
When a kind prophet-prince goes missing, Haroun smells iniquity in the air. (Iniquity, it turns out, smells like kumiss spilled on a tomcat in dire need of a bath.)
The problem with everyone in Tel-Bastet knowing what a Good Boy their Shai Madhur is, is that people keep trying to rescue him, whether he needs it or not. Not that he’s complaining, exactly. But Madhur swears he is never going carousing again… no matter how soulful Haroun’s puppydog eyes are.
With a splash of Studio Ghibli, a sprinkle of Roshani Chokshi, and a dash of Terry Pratchett, when the cats and dogs need to learn to live together, Haroun and Madhur take on the difference between what is seen and what is true.
Haroun and the Study of Mischief is set in the same Catsprowl setting as Chai and Cat-tales, and Shai Madhur and the shahzada are major characters in both, but you can enjoy them on their own!
Link: Goodreads
September 14, 2025
Swim With Me, Darling — Sylvie Helstaff
Genre: Horror romance
Rep: Sapphic
EVERYONE KNOWS YOU NEVER SWIM IN THE LAKE.
But when a high school rite of passage ends with Lana Morrison plummeting into the cursed waters of Oranbas Lake, she gets an up-close look at the real reason for its sinister reputation.
More beautiful and terrifying than she could ever have imagined, the mysterious siren captivates Lana’s every thought and dream. Why did she spare Lana’s life? Why was she allowed to escape the lake? As curiosity turns to yearning, Lana gives in to the call of temptation and returns to the lakeside.
She makes contact, of a sort, leaving trinkets to try and lure her siren out and is heartened to find gifts left on the shore in return. But it soon becomes apparent that more than one siren lives in the waters and Lana’s tokens of affection, though accepted, aren’t quite enough to coax them out.
When a tourist suddenly goes missing after a swim in the forbidden lake, Lana is forced to confront exactly how far she’s willing to go to win the affections of her aquatic love.
Swim With Me, Darling is a novella in the “good for her” genre of horror, with a generous helping of sapphic romance. The Little Mermaid meets Jennifer’s Body in a love story with bite.
Link: Author’s Website
September 15, 2025
Dance for Demons — Rose Santoriello
Genre: Fantasy
Rep: Queer M/F; bi
Series: Book 1 of Hel’s Carnival
Welcome to Hel, where your earthly morals no longer apply.
When Gemma Marino mysteriously wakes up on a demon planet with no memory of her previous life, she fears the worst. Especially when the first demon she encounters tries to kill her. Barely escaping with her life, Gemma is determined to not only survive this strange anarchist planet, but to regain her memory. She strikes a deal with The Devil himself—get a role at Hel’s Carnival, and he’ll grant her his protection.
The only problem? A sexy half-demon.
Contract killer, royal spy, and circus star—Draven ‘The Scorpion’ Orzath—has no intentions of letting this butterfly soar in his territory. That is, until he learns it’s The Devil’s orders. Deep in the heart of Hel’s Carnival, something rotten eats away its its core. In a world full of smoke and mirrors, who can he trust?
Meanwhile, as Gemma takes the stage, the ghosts of her past haunt her, leaving more questions than answers. Can she truly return to Earth and live without the new family she’s found among the carnies—and does she even want to?
Gemma Marino might just be Draven’s Devil-given solace, and Hel hath no fury like a woman reborn.
Hazbin Hotel meets The Greatest Showman in this Wizard of Oz inspired story that is sure to send you straight to Hel. With steamy romance, a quirky queer found family, and a wicked sense of humor, Dance for Demons is perfect for fans of Aurora Ascher, Kaylie Smith, and Brynne Weaver.
Link: Goodreads
September 16, 2025
Sunward — William Alexander
Genre: Cozy science fiction
Rep: Queer
A cozy debut science fiction novel by National Book Award–winning writer William Alexander, this story of found family follows a planetary courier training adolescent androids in a solar system grappling with interplanetary conflict after a devastating explosion on Earth’s moon.
Captain Tova Lir chose a life as a courier rather than get involved in her family’s illustrious business in politics. Set in humanity’s far future, hiring a planetary courier is essential for delivering private messages across the stars.
Encouraged by friends, Tova begins mentoring baby bots, juvenile AI who are developmentally in their teens, and trains them how to interact within society essentially becoming their foster mom. Her latest charge, Agatha Panza von Sparkles, named herself on their first run from Luna to Phoebe station. But on their return, they encounter a derelict spaceship and a lurking assassin, igniting a thrilling chase across the solar system.
Tova and Agatha’s daring actions leave Agatha’s mind vulnerable, relying on Tova’s former AI pupils for help. As Tova starts gathering her scattered family around her, she is chased through the solar system by forces who want her captured and her family erased.
This debut science fiction novel by National Book Award–winning author William Alexander is a must-read for fans of Becky Chambers and Ursula K. Le Guin.
Link: Goodreads
Spellcasting On — Andi R. Christopher
Genre: Fantasy
Rep: Sapphic
Series: Book 1 of Riverbank Yarns
Juno’s living her dream—her little yarn shop is flourishing, she’s working on her own knitting projects, and her witchy past is far behind her.
She’s more than happy to teach new customer Lane to knit—even though Lane would clearly rather be on a building site. Then Lane reveals her mysterious inheritance, and now her future rests on mastering a craft she’s always dismissed. To help her, Juno is forced to revisit her old world of magic and witchcraft.
But at least she won’t have to do it alone.
Spellcasting On is a sapphic fantasy novella filled with beautiful fibres and cosy magic.
Link: Goodreads
The Dead of Summer — Ryan La Sala
Genre: YA horror
Rep: Queer
A heart-pounding thriller told in a mix of narrative voices and found documents from the bestselling author of The Honeys, perfect for fans of Tiffany D. Jackson, E. Lockhart, Karen McManus, and Rory Powers!
Two Days Before
Ollie Veltman is finally coming home to the quaint island of Anchor’s Mercy after a year away while his mom battled cancer. It should be a celebration—his mom is cancer free, and she’s determined to have the best summer ever—but Ollie’s (now ex) best friends think he abandoned them, and he’s returning with a lot of questions. Because for a place that’s perfect on the surface, a secret rots below the waves. A secret that could explain his mom’s illness, and the illness of so many other locals.
Ollie’s desperate search for the truth turns life or death when a storm descends upon the island. In its wake, a long-sunken horror rises...
Three Weeks After
Ollie is being held in isolation aboard a military hospital ship in the harbor. They say he’s a survivor, but they only know half the story. The truth is more monstrous than Ollie ever believed, and he suspects his saviors aren’t here to save anyone. Only Ollie can stop what’s coming, but that means getting back to Anchor’s Mercy before it vanishes, taking with it everyone he has ever loved.
Link: Goodreads
Set in Stone — Niranjan
Genre: Epic romantic fantasy
Rep: Queer
Aspen has been an assassin for the rebels fighting against the tyrant Draven. Though lacking in magic, she makes up for it with her skills and magical weapons. When a mission goes awry, putting her in Draven’s sights, she has no choice but to run.
But Draven is the tyrant who has already conquered the world and has destroyed half of it. His magic has no limits, and she has no magic at all. Capture is as inevitable as her eventual fate as an assassin eliminating his enemies.
An obscure prophecy offers a chance for escape, not just for her but the entire world. It comes with a heavy price, however. Can Aspen accept her soulmate bond with Draven to change both their destinies or will she give into her hatred and destroy herself and the world’s only chance of salvation?
Set in Stone is an epic romantic fantasy with enemies to lovers and soulmates. If you love morally grey and complex characters, mythology, and redemption, you will love this gritty tale.
Link: Bookfunnel
The Summer War — Naomi Novik
Genre: Fantasy
Rep: Gay secondary character
In this poignant, heartfelt novella from the New York Times bestselling author of Spinning Silver and the Scholomance Trilogy, a young witch who has inadvertently cursed her brother to live a life without love must find a way to undo her spell.
Celia discovered her talent for magic on the day her beloved oldest brother Argent left home. Furious at him for abandoning her in a war-torn land, she lashed out, not realizing her childish, angry words would suddenly become imbued with the power of prophecy, dooming him to a life without love.
While Argent wanders the world, forced to seek only fame and glory instead of the love and belonging he truly desires, Celia attempts to undo the curse she placed on him. Yet even as she grows from a girl to a woman, she cannot find the solution—until she learns the truth about the centuries-old war between her own people and the summerlings, the immortal beings who hold a relentless grudge against their mortal neighbors.
Now, with the aid of her unwanted middle brother, Celia may be able to both undo her eldest brother’s curse and heal the lands so long torn apart by the Summer War.
Link: Goodreads
Teenage Girls Can Be Demons — Hailey Piper
Genre: Coming-of-age horror story collection
Rep: Queer
Thirteen terrifying coming-of-rage stories from the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Queen of Teeth, perfect for fans of Clive Barker, Mariana Enriquez and Eric LaRocca.
A vicious group of college upperclassmen prey on the freshman girls in “Why We Keep Exploding”; across the world, something is mutating adolescents into bizarre creatures in “The Turning”; a girl on a night out realizes a bizarre cop is hunting her in “The Long Flesh of the Law”; and in the acclaimed novella “Benny Rose, the Cannibal King,” a Halloween prank goes horribly wrong when a murderous ghost steps out of an urban legend and into the real world.
These stories take our most difficult years of transformation and twist them into new and terrifying shapes, where the monsters are real and you’ll do whatever it takes to get away, or get even.
Link: Goodreads
The Enduring Universe — Kritika H. Rao
Genre: Science fiction
Rep: Bi MCs; Desi cast
Series: Book 3 of Rages
The explosive and reality-shattering Rages trilogy, started by The Surviving Sky, concludes as Ahilya and Iravan fight one last time to save everything they’ve ever loved—the survivors of humanity, their families, their home and each other. A powerful, immersive and sweeping epic fantasy like no other.
The worst has happened. The Conclave has crashed into the jungle, and humanity builds one last city, clinging to survival in the ruins.
Forced into a deadly alliance with the Virohi, Ahilya alone can communicate with the cosmic creatures—but she is growing weaker with every encounter. Equally revered and feared by her council, Ahilya desperately tries to balance the needs of her people with the untameable desires of the trapped Virohi.
Iravan does not believe reconciliation is possible. All he sees is a crumbling bastion being eaten from the inside out. Answering to no law, he would destroy the Virohi before they can destroy humanity.
As Ahilya and Iravan wage war, the planet itself rebels, unleashing new rages of untold power. Caught between a wounded planet and the cosmic creatures, all screaming to exist, the last survivors of the human race confront the approaching maelstrom.
At the last, Ahilya and Iravan must face up to their mistakes to forge peace between themselves—to save each other and humanity.
Link: Goodreads
The River and the Star — Gabriela Romero Lacruz
Genre: Fantasy
Rep: Queer
Series: Book 2 of The Warring Gods
In the gripping conclusion to the Warring Gods duology, two women find themselves caught in an ancient feud between ruthless entities, in an epic quest for power and liberation.
Reina is full of hope.
At long last, Reina has the peace she’s been searching for on the idyllic island of Tierra’e Sol with the lover she’s always wanted, and in service to the god of the sun. But she can’t quite trust how long this will last. When monstrous creatures of the Void appear on the isle’s shores, she is certain she knows who is behind the attacks. Reina will stop at nothing to protect the woman she loves, but it could cost her everything she’s fought so hard for.
Eva is cherished.
Finally reunited with her father, the Liberator, Eva struggles to prove herself worthy of being his heir while keeping secret her alliance with the god of the Void. As destruction, both human and magical, tears across the lands, Eva is thrust into a power struggle she’s ill-prepared for. Confronted with the limits of her own ambition, Eva must fight to save herself from the powerful corruption of the Void before she loses the family she holds dear.
The warring gods are returning and the only thing between them and absolute power are two young women. But for the first time in their lives, Reina and Eva have something to fight for. And they won’t back down.
Link: Goodreads
Fawn’s Blood — Hal Schrieve
Genre: YA fantasy
Rep: Trans MCs; bi MC
Vampires, vampire slayers, and a bloodthirsty underground resistance converge in a campy YA fantasy about being a queer teen in a world that wishes they did not exist.
Fawn and Silver share nearly coming out together as trans in their small Maryland town, clocking a copious number of hours in detention, and spending their sleepovers secretly making out. They’re also uniquely obsessed with vampires, who are being hunted, imprisoned, and executed for the danger they allegedly pose to human life.
Rachel is a bisexual teen, who has secretly been turned vampire and who is contending with the fact that her mom is a notorious vampire slayer. When Silver disappears and Fawn goes west in search of him, her and Rachel’s fates converge, both falling into the hands of Cain, an edgelord vampire known for his proselytizing for the drinking of human blood.
But in discovering hidden tunnels and secret bars, youth shelters and punk shows and safe houses, Fawn find herself in the middle of a vampire underground in Seattle—an organized resistance keeping each other alive through a network of blood distribution and protection from slayers.
Fawn’s Blood is a timely antidote to the anti-trans moral panic of today. Taking the queer-coded villain and flipping it on its’ head, this multi-voiced vampire novel offers a paranormal YA fantasy full of complicated queer characters—human and monster alike—all of whom are simply trying to survive in a world that wants them dead.
Link: Goodreads
Among the Burning Flowers — Samantha Shannon
Genre: Epic fantasy
Rep: Queer
Series: Standalone in established universe
With the awakening of fire-breathing dragons, Among the Burning Flowers sees the first sparks of danger that threaten to consume the world in The Priory of the Orange Tree.
Yscalin, land of sunshine and lavender, will soon be ablaze.
It has been centuries since the Draconic Army took wing, almost extinguishing humankind.
Marosa Vetalda is a prisoner in her own home, controlled by her cold father, King Sigoso. Over the mountains, her betrothed, Aubrecht Lievelyn, rules Mentendon in all but name. Together, they intend to usher in a better world.
A better world seems impossibly distant to Estina Melaugo, who hunts the Draconic beasts that have slept across the world for centuries.
And now the great wyrm Fýredel is stirring, and Yscalin will be the first to fall...
A story of human resilience in the face of dire circumstances, Among the Burning Flowers leads readers through the gripping and tragic circumstances that pave the way for the opening of the million-copy bestseller The Priory of The Orange Tree.
Link: Goodreads
Cemetery Boys: Espíritu — Aiden Thomas
Genre: YA paranormal romance
Rep: M/M; non-binary side character
Series: Book 2 of Cemetery Boys
New York Times-bestselling author Aiden Thomas returns to the beloved world of Cemetery Boys in Espíritu, this time following Julian, who is dealing with newfound powers, a new relationship with Yadriel, and the return of demons he had hoped were gone forever!
Julian used to be a ghost and now he can’t stop seeing them.
Ever since being sacrificed as part of a forbidden ritual, Julian has been able to see and communicate with the spirits of passed brujx. And that would be okay, if it allowed him to be part of his new boyfriend’s community. But Julian’s also seeing other things: shadows in the corner of his eyes, glowing eyes in the dark, and “dark spots” on people—gaping, black gashes that are somehow wrong. He did ask his new magical boyfriend about it, but Yadriel has never heard of anything like it either, and he’s so busy with his new brujx responsibilities, trying to figure out where all the new malingos are coming from, that Julian hates for his problems to ruin what little time together they have.
Then, a strange new brujx shows up. Ángel, as a nonbinary brujx, can heal the living and release the dead, but more than that, they can also see the same dark spots as Julian. Despite Yadriel’s reservations, Julian eagerly accepts their help. But, Ángel’s ruthless methods feel wrong to Julian, who wants to move away from hurting others.
With the shadows growing darker, and the discovery of a gaping dark spot on his friend Luca, Julian has to decide who he wants to put his trust in, and just how far he’s willing to go to save what is his.
Link: Goodreads
A Ruin, Great and Free — Cadwell Turnbull
Genre: Fantasy
Rep: Many queer characters, including a bi ace trans man
Series: Book 3 of The Convergence Saga
From bestselling and award-winning author Cadwell Turnbull comes the stunning conclusion to the popular Convergence Saga.
It has been nearly two years since the anti-monster riots. The inhabitants of Moon have been very fortunate in the intervening months. Inside their hidden monster settlement, they’ve found peace, even as the world outside slips into increasing unrest. Monsters are being hunted everywhere, forced back into the shadows they once tried to escape from. Other secret settlements have offered a place to hide, but how long can this half-measure against fear and hatred last?
Over the course of three days, the inhabitants of Moon are tested. The Black Hand continues to search for them and the Cult of the Zsouvox wants to make Moon the last stand in their war against the Order of Asha. This is more than enough to reckon with, but the gods have also placed their sights on Moon—and they bring with them a conflict that may either save or unravel the universe itself.
Link: Goodreads
September 18, 2025
Load Game — Emilie Nantel
Genre: YA, time travel
Rep: F/F, bi MC
Vera Young can time travel through her selfies.
For a disaster bi with a huge crush on her bestie Soph and an affinity for trouble, that new power is a cheat code for life. Consequences are a thing of the past.
Punched the sleazy quarterback and got suspended? Save game. Load game. Get out scot-free.
Want the satisfaction of getting revenge on the mean girls bullying you, but still want to be a good person? Humiliate them in front of everyone, rewind, and enjoy! It doesn’t count if it didn’t happen!
Whatever life throws at her, Vera’s got this.
But some things you can’t control, not even with all the time travel in the world: Riverview High’s rumor mill; a death that’s a fixed point in time; and the crumbling integrity of the space-time continuum, to name a few.
Turns out, there’s a lot of consequences to a no-consequences life.
For teen readers at an age of firsts of all kinds, where mistakes, what-ifs, grief and guilt are so challenging to cope with. Load Game deals with the hardships of youth in an honest, yet optimistic and lighthearted way.
Link: Author’s Website
September 19, 2025
Hold Evermore Our Common Waking Dream — Rowan Alexandria Bennett
Genre: Science fiction, dystopian, cyberpunk
Rep: Trans woman MC
Series: Book 2 of The Kindest Embrace
In this bold continuation of The Kindest Embrace if Firm Enough Can Suffocate, Rowan Bennett brings us back to a universe primed for revolution.
The poets have taken to the stars. What happens to those left to pick up the pieces? How will trans woman Evangeline Sawyer ensure that the greatest systems of oppression are forever fractured? Where have Wist Elken and Ada Price gone?
Refuse. Resist. Bring those wishes homeward
And hold evermore the vigorous shield
Against all which would demand them scattered;
Dreams belong with us, our power to wield.
Link: Goodreads
Sword of Avalon — A.K. Faulkner
Genre: Urban fantasy
Rep: M/M
Series: Book 11 of Inheritance
Yes, that Arthur.
Laurence’s soul is bound to a dead warlock’s, his familiar is traumatised, and Quentin’s baby brother might be a witchfinder. So when a mysterious raven arrives and fails to deliver its message, Laurence figures it’s best to track down whoever sent it before his life can get any worse.
His working theory is that it must be Morgan. He owes her a favor, after all, but to reach her he must travel to Avalon, and that turns out to be the easy part, because her brother Arthur has woken up after several centuries of slumber.
And he needs Laurence’s help....
Link: Author’s Website
September 23, 2025
Extraordinary Quests for Amateur Witches — Kayla Cottingham
Genre: YA fantasy romance
Rep: M/M
Series: Standalone in established universe
After accidentally cursing his ex-boyfriend, a reluctant hero must complete a dangerous quest to undo his spell... all while falling for a brooding new crewmate with dark secrets.
Kieran has never had much luck in love or magic. Other than being freed from a family curse that would have killed him and doomed his twin sister, life isn’t going his way.
So, after getting put on notice by his boyfriend and accidentally writing a poem so bad (and magically hazardous) that it makes him invisible to the guy, of course Kieran returns home to find the Witches Council sitting in his living room, demanding he complete his magical training. Panicked, he blurts out that his Calling—a kind of magical thesis—will be to find a magical cure-all that can break any curse... an enormous task that he absolutely doesn’t have the power to pull off.
Nevertheless, Kieran sets off on this dangerous journey, accompanied by his sister Briar, her girlfriend Delilah, and a swoony new crewmate, Sebastian. If he survives, he may just learn how to turn his luck around and figure out what kind of witch, person, and boyfriend he wants to be.
Link: Goodreads
These Bodies Ain’t Broken — Madeline Dyer (ed.)
Genre: YA horror anthology
Rep: Queer; disability; chronic illness
Madeline Dyer, editor of Being Ace, developed this anthology to challenge expectations about who can be a hero. Centering disabled and chronically ill teenagers protecting others from ancient evils, vanquishing ghosts, and defying death, these stories explore horror sub-genres including paranormal, gothic, psychological, and body horror. With a diverse array of own-voices representation for Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Crohns Disease, Diabetes, PTSD, and more each entry complicates traditional horror with new perspectives.
Contributors include bestselling and award-winning as well as emerging authors: Dana Mele, Lillie Lainoff, Soumi Roy, Fin Lavoie, S.E. Anderson, K. Ancrum, Pintip Dunn, Lily Meade, Mo Netz, P.H. Low, and Carly Nugent.
Link: Goodreads
This Raging Sea — De Elizabeth
Genre: YA horror romance
Rep: M/F; bi MCs
Eighteen-year-old Briar Winters must untangle the horrifying eldritch secrets of her picture-perfect coastal town in order to save the boy she loves after he disappears from time itself in this YA dark fantasy for fans of Bly Manor.
Historic Loch Creek is a witchy New England tourist trap—but it’s just a trap for Briar, who’s convinced she’ll die there among the waves that devoured her twin brother thirteen years ago. But when her best friend who she's loved since childhood, Finn, vanishes from the seaside carnival, there’s only one person who can help Briar find him: Morgan, her biggest enemy who knows her darkest secret.
As Briar uncovers hidden truths as deep and dark as the water that haunts her, it quickly becomes clear that Finn has gone much further than anyone could have imagined. He’s lost in time, and neither of them are safe. If Briar and Finn look too hard, they might find terrifying answers—not just about what’s buried beneath the shores, but also the threads tying them to each other. As past and future collide, the seductive yet evil underwater entity that intends to claim Briar still needs its sacrifice...
And it’s too hungry to go unsated.
Equal parts steamy, epic bisexual romance and pulse-pounding horror, This Raging Sea is a dual POV dark fantasy as sweepingly powerful as the ocean that threatens to consume everything and everyone Briar has ever loved—prepare to be devoured.
Link: Goodreads
Spread Me — Sarah Gailey
Genre: Horror
Rep: Queer
Spread Me is a darkly seductive tale of survival from Sarah Gailey, after a routine probe at a research station turns deadly when the team discovers a strange specimen in search of a warm place to stay.
Kinsey has the perfect job as the team lead in a remote research outpost. She loves the solitude, and the way the desert keeps her far away from the temptations teeming out in the civilian world.
When her crew discovers a mysterious specimen buried deep in the sand, Kinsey breaks quarantine and brings it into the hab. But the longer it’s inside, the more her carefully controlled life begins to unravel. Temptation has found her after all, and it can’t be ignored any longer.
One by one, Kinsey’s team realizes the thing they’re studying is in search of a new host—and one of them is the perfect candidate...
Link: Goodreads
Exquisite Things — Abdi Nazemian
Genre: YA fantasy, time travel
Rep: M/M
From Stonewall Award–winning author Abdi Nazemian (Only This Beautiful Moment) comes the epic queer love story of a lifetime. Perfect for fans of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Shahriar believes he was born in the wrong time. All he’s ever wanted is to love and be loved, but 1895 London doesn’t offer him the freedom to be his true self, and Oscar Wilde’s trial for gross indecency has only reaffirmed that. But one night—and one writer—will grant Shahriar what he’s always wished for: the opportunity to live in a time and place where he can love freely. Rechristened as Shams and then as Bram, he finds what feels like eternal happiness. But can anything truly be eternal?
Oliver doesn’t feel that 1920s Boston gives him a lot of options to be his full self. He knows he could only ever love another boy, but that would break his beloved mother’s heart. Oliver finds freedom and acceptance in the secret queer community at Harvard that his cousin introduces him to. When he meets a mysterious boy with eyes as warm as a flame, his life is irrevocably changed, forever.
Spanning one hundred and thirty years of love and longing, this tale of immortal beloveds searching for their perfect place and time is a vibrant hymn to the beauty of being alive, a celebration of queer love and community, and a reminder that behind every tragic thing that ever existed, there is something exquisite.
Link: Goodreads
The Unfathomable Curse — Courtney Smyth
Genre: Fantasy murder mystery
Rep: Sapphic MCs; bi MC; fibromyalgia rep
Series: Book 3 of The Undetectables
A witty, witchy fantasy murder mystery packed with ancient magic and fiendish puzzles. When Cornelia’s twin sisters are taken by the Wickermere Reaper, Mallory, Diana and Theodore must race against time to uncover the buried secrets of the Broadwicks before it’s too late. Perfect for fans of supernatural mysteries and cosy crime by authors such as Ben Aaranovitch, Josiah Bancroft and Tammie Painter.
The summer after the events of The Undead Complex, the unthinkable finally happens—Cornelia’s money is running out. Estranged from her family, furious at her parents following recent revelations, the Broadwick heir finds herself living on her own resources for the first time.
Meanwhile two crimes are rocking the Apparent community. The Wrackton Digger is stealing bodies from the cemetery, and a new serial killer—the Wickermere Reaper—has emerged. But when the Reaper snatches their next victims—Cornelia’s twin sisters—she must return to her family’s home, and seat of the Ghoul Council, to conduct the search.
With their resources split, and a ticking clock on the race to save the twins, The Undetectables must do what they do best—solve the strangest, most well-hidden magical mysteries to save the people they love.
Link: Goodreads
September 25, 2025
Pantomime — L.R. Lam
Genre: Fantasy
Rep: Intersex, non-binary MC; queer secondary characters
Series: Book 1 of Micah Grey
In a land of lost wonders, the past is stirring once more...
Gene’s life resembles a debutante’s dream. Yet she hides a secret that would see her shunned by the nobility. Gene is both male and female. Then she displays unwanted magical abilities—last seen in mysterious beings from an almost-forgotten age. Matters escalate further when her parents plan a devastating betrayal, so she flees home, dressed as a boy.
The city beyond contains glowing glass relics from a lost civilization. They call to her, but she wants freedom not mysteries. So, reinvented as ‘Micah Grey,’ Gene joins the circus. As an aerialist, she discovers the joy of flight—but the circus has a dark side. She’s also plagued by visions foretelling danger. A storm is howling in from the past, but will she heed its roar?
Link: Goodreads
One Morning Sun — Avi Silver
Genre: YA fantasy
Rep: Aroace, polyamory
Series: Book 3 of the Sãoni Cycle
Sohmeng Parminhal is ready to face the unknown.
The mountain community of Ateng is safe at last, but Sohmeng and her partners have a new challenge ahead: defending Gãepongwei from the invading Qiao Sidhur Empire. While Soh is convinced that open conversation can turn her adversaries into allies, Prince Ahnschen isn’t so sure. His older sister, the charming and ruthless General Ólawen, has never been one to concede defeat.
With the future of the rainforest at stake, the hmun are uniting for the first time in living memory—and the animal kingdom has its part to play. But as self-appointed guardian of Eiji, Hei questions if the relationship between humans and sãoni is indeed symbiotic as they walk the line between skin and scales.
The dark of Minhal is coming. Inside that darkness, infinite possibility. In the final heartfelt chapter of the Sãoni Cycle, Hei, Ahn, and Sohmeng must decide their place in the perfect system, and become who the world needs each of them to be.
Link: Books2Read
September 30, 2025
HEX, Blood, & Ritual — Andrew Forrest Baker
Genre: Paranormal
Rep: Gay
Series: Book 4 of HEX’d
VAMPIRES AREN’T REAL.
At least that’s what Darragh Cullen keeps telling himself.
But when the bodies begin to pile up on his trip to New Orleans, he can no longer be so sure.
With the BOG Witch Convention overtaking the Crow’s Court Hotel, hundreds of magical creatures are on site when the exsanguinated bodies of humans and witches alike appear. Any of the attendees or staff could be the killer—or become the next victim.
Darragh has four days to discover the truth before the whole of the magical world is changed forever. And if immortal beings are stalking the halls, forever could become a startling reality.
Link: Goodreads
The Witch Who Chases the Sun — Dawn Chen
Genre: High fantasy
Rep: Sapphic
Sometimes, true love is not the answer.
A decade after the Second War, Aixauhan Alchemist Ying Cai-Li seeks to rekindle her relationship with her ex-lover, the Inabrian Oracle Anne Barberry.
However, the war changed them both. Estranged by their losses, Cai-Li has gained a notorious reputation as the dark magic-wielding Blood Hawk and Anne barricades herself in a castle on a hill where her family’s dark secrets lie. Rumors in the village say Anne is a monster, responsible for the disappearance of innocent visitors.
But when the two witches reunite and begin unraveling the mysteries of the village, it becomes clear that scars left by the war do not easily fade. Things are not as they seem. Old ghosts come back to haunt them. Past truths are revealed. Can the witches be each other’s salvations or are they doomed to repeat the past that tore them apart?
Fans of The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang and The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon will fall in love with Dawn Chen’s sapphic high fantasy epic about anti-colonialism, grief, generational trauma, and the cycles of war.
Link: Goodreads
Fate’s Bane — C.L. Clark
Genre: Fantasy
Rep: Sapphic
Warring clans. Burning hearts. Deadly fate.
The clans of the fens enjoy a tenuous peace, and it is all thanks to Agnir, ward and hostage. For as long as she can remember she has lived among the enemy, learning their ways, growing strong alongside their children. When a burgeoning love for the chieftain’s daughter lures them both to a hidden spring, a magic awakens in them that could bind the clans under one banner at last—or destroy any hope of peace. By working their intentions into leather, they can weave misfortune for their enemies... just like the Fate’s Bane that haunts the legends of the clans.
Ambitions grow in their fathers’ hearts, grudges threaten a return to violence, and greedy enemies wait outside the borders, seeking a foothold to claim the fens for themselves. And though their Makings may save their families, the legend that gave them this power always exacts its price.
Link: Goodreads
The Sovereign — C.L. Clark
Genre: Fantasy
Rep: Sapphic
Series: Book 3 of Magic of the Lost
Luca is the new queen of Balladaire. Her empire is already splintering in her hands. Her uncle wasn’t the only traitor in the court, and the Withering will decimate her people if she can’t unearth Balladaire’s magic. The only person who can help her wants the only thing Luca won’t give—the end of the monarchy.
Touraine is Luca’s general. She has everything she ever wanted. While Luca looks within Balladaire’s borders, Touraine looks outward—the alliance with Qazal is brittle and Balladaire’s neighbors are ready to pounce on its new weakness. When the army comes, led by none other than Touraine’s old lover, Touraine must face the truth about herself—and the empire she once called home.
A storm is coming. Touraine and Luca will stand against it together, or it will tear them apart once and for all.
Link: Goodreads
Between the Walls — Caspian Faye
Genre: YA horror romance
Rep: M/M; trans boy MC
When James Thorne and his recently divorced dad move into their new house, in a new town, looking for a new start, James can’t help thinking about all he’s left behind.
Missing his best friend, his high-maintenance boyfriend, and troubled by the paranormal occurrences rattling his nerves, James wishes he’d never moved.
But when his presence awakens Nathaniel, the ghost of a seventeen year old trans boy who has haunted the walls of this house since the 1700s, things take a surprising turn.
After a false start or two, Nathaniel and James hit it off, an easy connection that could become something more.
But only if they survive.
Because Nathaniel isn’t the only ghost haunting this house. In the basement hides a dark entity, longing to escape, to claim their souls.
Can James and Nathaniel cross the boundaries of the living and the dead in order to see each other and themselves for who they truly are?
Link: Goodreads
Beyond the Border Forest — Molly Haniszewski
Genre: Fantasy
Rep: Queer; trans MC
Series: Book 1 of The Immortal Seasons Cycle
Two kings rule the woods—the Oak King in Summer and the Holly King in Winter—and no mortal may enter their realm without permission.
But when Rowan Gwózdek’s older sister goes missing, Rowan must search the forest for her, risking the kings’ wrath. She enlists the help of her sister’s hunting rival Keziah, a trans (and very handsome) hunter with a mysterious connection to the Oak King. He offers to lead her through the forest to find a magical wish granter called the Bear Maiden.
Together, Rowan and Keziah face mossmen, a wood dragon, and other fearsome creatures who serve the Oak King. To make matters worse, Rowan stumbles upon the Holly King, the Oak King’s nemesis, and becomes tangled in the conflict between the two kings. To get her sister back, Rowan will have to join in the battle, even if it means she can never return home.
Link: Goodreads
What Stalks the Deep — T. Kingfisher
Genre: Fantasy, horror
Rep: Non-binary MC
Series: Book 3 of Sworn Soldier
The next novella in the New York Times bestselling Sworn Soldier series, featuring Alex Easton investigating the dark, mysterious depths of a coal mine in America.
Alex Easton does not want to visit America.
They particularly do not want to visit an abandoned coal mine in West Virginia with a reputation for being haunted.
But when their old friend Dr. Denton summons them to help find his lost cousin—who went missing in that very mine—well, sometimes a sworn soldier has to do what a sworn soldier has to do...
Link: Goodreads
The Transition — Logan-Ashley Kisner
Genre: YA horror, paranormal
Rep: Trans boy MC
A transgender teen’s post-op recovery is derailed when he is bitten by a werewolf and his body begins to change. A thought-provoking page-turner that will haunt you for days!
Hunter’s life is at a turning point: After years of fighting his father for it, he’s gotten top surgery. He’s finally starting to feel comfortable in his own skin... only to be attacked by a strange creature in his backyard.
The encounter should kill him, but his best friend Gabe intervenes, and Hunter is able to walk away from the incident with his life—and new body—mostly intact. Still, something isn’t right. First, his wounds are healing quickly—too quickly. Then there are the feverish nightmares, the sudden return of his period, and his teeth... they’re falling out of his head.
Enter Mars, Hunter’s other best friend. A horror movie devotee, Mars points out the obvious: That mysterious creature was a werewolf, and Hunter is becoming one too—unless they can figure out a cure, which basically means they have to kill the creature that bit him.
Now, Hunter, Gabe, and Mars are in a race against time. A voice that could only belong to the creature itself is worming its way into Hunter’s head, and as the days pass, it’s only getting louder. It promises revenge on Hunter’s transphobic peers if he succumbs to his lycanthropic transformation. Or he can reject the monster and fight alongside his friends before the body—and life—he’s fought so hard for slips away for good. The choice is Hunter’s.
Link: Goodreads
Freed Kingfisher — R. Laham
Genre: Fantasy
Rep: Queer, pan
Series: Book 2 of The Slave-Soldier Series
In the aftermath of the Manzakar Rebellion, the kingdom of Anzor teeters on the edge of social and political chaos. Tikran, Coxani and their fellow Manzakars must navigate a fractured society that still sees them as outsiders—even in freedom.
Across the continent, the rival kingdom of Dilovar violates its fragile truce, creeping into eastern Gohar in pursuit of nomads with the Essence.
Tikran is drawn into the web of court politics, struggling with betrayal. Meanwhile, Coxani ventures into Gohar to unite its scattered tribes in anticipation of war.
As old empires clash and the future of Gohar hangs in the balance, Tikran makes a vow: the Gohari will be free. No matter the cost.
Link: Goodreads
Wings of Tabat — Cat Rambo
Genre: Fantasy
Rep: Queer
Series: Book 4 of The Tabat Quartet
In the final book of Cat Rambo’s magical Tabat Quartet, we return to the city of Tabat, where Humans and magical Beasts co-exist—but uneasily. The exploited Beasts, used for both their labor and their very bodies, are finally fighting back, and turmoil abounds in the city.
At the same time, as Tabat prepares for its long-predicted elections, multiple factions are jostling for power—all of them preparing to oust the Duke. And the mysterious Circus of the Autumn Moon has departed from the College of Mages and is nowhere to be found.
Bella Kanto, once Champion of Tabat before being exiled for crimes she did not commit, has come home to her beloved city, carried by Dragons. If she is found, exiled Bella could be thrown into the Duke’s dark prisons.
Adelina, Bella’s former lover and best friend, has married Merchant Mage Sebastiano, but the two are still learning what it means to be in love with each other—and how to survive together.
Meanwhile, freed of his curse, Bella’s former companion Teo has escaped Lucy’s grasp, but finds the city an unwelcoming place nonetheless.
Now Bella must determine how to defend Tabat from a terrifying the transfigured Lucy, transformed into a dangerous demigod. Monstrous in her power and angry at the city she feels has betrayed her, Lucy destroys the Duke’s castle and other vital parts of Tabat, raining down destruction and chaos, and threatening to eradicate the city entirely.
Now that she is reunited with her friends and family, can Bella manage to recapture her magical tie to Tabat in time to defeat Lucy before she destroys the city?
Link: Goodreads
The Shocking Experiments of Miss Mary Bennet — Melinda Taub
Genre: Historical science fiction
Rep: Sapphic
An utterly fantastical and undeniably queer melding of Pride and Prejudice and Frankenstein that recasts Mary Bennet as an insatiable scientist, one who creates a monster in an attempt to save herself from spinsterdom.
Awkward, plain, and overlooked, Mary Bennet has long been out of favor not only with her own family but with generations of readers of Pride and Prejudice. But what was this peculiar girl really doing while her sisters were falling in love?
As, one by one, Mary’s sisters get married, she hatches a plan. If the world won’t give this fierce, lonely girl a place, she’ll carve one out herself. In a desperate bid to avoid becoming a burden on her family or, worse, married to a controlling man, Mary does what any bright, intrepid girl would do. She takes to the attic and teach herself to reanimate the dead. If finding acceptance requires a husband, she’ll get one. . . even if she has to make him herself.
However, Mary’s genius and determination aren’t enough to control the malevolent force that she unwittingly unleashes. Soon, her attempts to rein in the destruction wreaked by her creations leads her to forge a perhaps unlikely friendship with another brilliant young woman unlike any she’s ever known. As that friendship blossoms into something passionate and all-consuming, Mary begins to realize that she may have to choose between the acceptance she’s always fought for and true happiness.
Link: Goodreads