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Book reviews from the world of fantasy, science fiction, and speculative fiction. 2026-04-29T17:14:48Z

URL: https://www.fantasybookcafe.com

Updated: 17 hours 28 min ago

February 2026 Virtual Fantasy Book Recommendations Event

Thu, 02/12/2026 - 20:52

One week from today, I’ll be doing the first quarterly virtual book recommendations event with the Ashland Public Library in Massachusetts of this year. Unlike last year, I’ll primarily be focusing on fantasy books instead of fantasy and science fiction. There may still be the occasional science fiction recommendation, but I’ll mostly be featuring fantasy and author Elizabeth Bear is focusing on SF recommendations this year (and just did her first event last night!). I’ll be sharing these fantasy book […]

The post February 2026 Virtual Fantasy Book Recommendations Event first appeared on Fantasy Cafe.

Categories: Fantasy Books

Review of Masquerade by O. O. Sangoyomi

Tue, 02/10/2026 - 18:46

As a Bookshop affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Masquerade, O. O. Sangoyomi’s debut novel, is a rare instance of a book I read without really knowing what to expect. I believe it first came to my attention when it became a finalist for the Goodreads Choice Awards for Debut Novel, and after that, I saw some readers mention they enjoyed it. I knew it was loosely based on the myth of Persephone, that it promised politicking in a reimagined […]

The post Review of Masquerade by O. O. Sangoyomi first appeared on Fantasy Cafe.

Categories: Fantasy Books

Strange Horizons Roundtable on Influence

Mon, 01/26/2026 - 19:00

This week is the 2026 Strange Horizons Criticism Special, which includes a new essay and review every day, a podcast, an editorial, and a roundtable: “Giving Permission: A Roundtable on the Obscurity of Influence” with Yvette Lisa Ndlovu, Charles Payseur, Daniel A. Rabuzzi, and me. You can read the entire discussion here. Here’s a bit about the overall premise from the preamble: “We were seeking to identify a score or so authors who defy easy classification, whose unique style and/or […]

The post Strange Horizons Roundtable on Influence first appeared on Fantasy Cafe.

Categories: Fantasy Books

Guest Post by Fantasy Author Katie Hallahan

Tue, 01/20/2026 - 22:42

I’m delighted to have a guest post by Katie Hallahan to share with you today! She is the author of McKenna Ellerbeck, a contemporary fantasy series starting with The Twice-Sold Soul, which is described as a “queer fantasy romance set in a magical high school reunion” for “fans of Buffy and Charmed.” The second and newest book in her series, The Twice-Wanted Witch, is out in trade paperback and ebook today—and you can read more about some of her favorite […]

The post Guest Post by Fantasy Author Katie Hallahan first appeared on Fantasy Cafe.

Categories: Fantasy Books

Anticipated 2026 Speculative Fiction Book Releases

Mon, 01/12/2026 - 17:58

Once again, I have scoured the internet for information on speculative fiction books coming out this year and compiled a list of works I wanted to highlight. After looking through book descriptions, early reviews, and any available excerpts, I’ve put together a list of 18 fantasy and science fiction books coming out in 2026 that sound particularly compelling to me. (Of course, some of these did not require research since I had already enjoyed previous books in the series or […]

The post Anticipated 2026 Speculative Fiction Book Releases first appeared on Fantasy Cafe.

Categories: Fantasy Books