Feed aggregator

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.

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Fantasy/Steampunk
Length: 378 pages
Publisher: ‎ Self-Published
Release Date:July 11, 2024
ASIN: B0D54FPW8Z
Stand Alone or Series: 3rd book in The Lamplight Murder Mysteries
Source: Borrowed ebook from Kindle Unlimited
Rating: 5/5 stars

“It’s the week of Hunter’s Eve, a yearly celebration of monsters, ghosts, and things that go bump in the night. But for Huntress Isabeau Agarwal, the event is a stark reminder that in her line of work, there is never a day’s rest.

Murders rock the city, and Isabeau is charged with solving them before the killer strikes again. One, a macabre accident during a dangerous magician’s trick gone awry. The other, a slain politician, his disfigured body displayed atop Lamplight’s most memorable landmark.

The deaths are seemingly unrelated, until Isabeau learns both magician and politician belong to the same mysterious social club filled with powerful paragons of the city, each with their own hidden agendas—each with a reason to kill.

And during it all, a werewolf stalks the streets, bounding from rooftop to rooftop and claiming the lives of innocent citizens. As Isabeau uncovers the city’s secrets, complications arise: the monster and the murders may be connected.

The magician. The police chief. The Ethereal Maiden. The professor. The criminal kingpin. The industrialist.

One may be a killer. One may be a werewolf. All are hiding something.”

Series Info/Source: This is third book in The Lamplight Murder Mysteries. I borrowed this on ebook from Kindle Unlimited.

Thoughts: I really enjoyed this third installment in The Lamplight Murder Mysteries. This book was a bit different than previous books in that we are let loose in the city of Lamplight rather than in an enclosed environment. I actually loved this format even more than the previous two books. I have been wanting to learn more about the mysterious city of Lamplight and this book didn’t disappoint.

There is a werewolf loose in Lamplight…and even worse a murderer loose. Isabeau and Evie are trying to enjoy a night at the theater, watching a magician, when his show goes very wrong and his assistant is killed. They quickly find out that this isn’t the only killing of the night, and Evie is called in on the case. Isabeau and Evie find out that both murders are linked to a mysterious social club, and the werewolf may somehow be linked into this all as well.

This book had a lot more action than the last couple books. I actually enjoyed this open format a lot more and really enjoyed exploring Lamplight. The things I like best about this series are the amazing world and the intriguing characters, and we get to see a lot more of both in this story. I actually am not a huge fan of murder mysteries or who-dun-it types of stories. However, I love this setting and these characters.

I also love that we learn a lot more about monsters and about Isabeau’s past in this book. Both Evie and Isabeau are growing and changing as characters which is fun to watch. There was a bit more about politics and we are exposed to more of the ghostly aspects of this world as well.

This was a very fun and easy read that I enjoyed immensely.

My Summary (5/5): Overall I really loved this book and thought that this was the best book in this series so far. I loved the more open format and venturing into the city of Lamplight. I loved how the murder mystery intertwined with other aspects like werewolves, ghostly apparitions, and politics. I really love the characters here and enjoyed learning more about their history and watching them grow. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a creative dark steampunk-esque fantasy world with intriguing characters and a well done murder mystery.

Fiends, Ronams, Countymen, Lend me your paws!

Oooh, I think it might be time to develop a drinking problem.

You’re not wrong.

I have no problem. I drink, I fall down, I sleep, it’s basically the state motto.

Why are your paws spinning? Or…is that just me?

 

A Court of Sugar and Spice (Wicked Darlings #1)by Rebecca F. Kenney
What is it about:With their inheritance restricted until their marriage, sisters Clara and Louisa, both in their twenties, must live with their godfather Drosselmeyer. One night, an accident brings to life one of the strange wooden dolls in Drosselmeyer's mansion. The Nutcracker doll is a cursed Fae prince, and he pleads for the sisters' help. During the ensuing journey into the Fae realm, Clara encounters the handsome Sugarplum Faerie, and he promises her the chance to enact all her forbidden fantasies. Meanwhile Louisa and the Nutcracker Prince battle and bicker over everything, despite the growing attraction between them. And to make matters worse, the entire Seelie kingdom is under threat of conquest by the Rat King, ruler of the Dread Court.
This is a spicy, adult, fantasy romance retelling of "The Nutcracker" fairytale.
What did Voodoo Bride think of it:I will confess I've had a couple of ebooks of this author linger on my e-reader, but I tend to skip over my digital library in favor of print books, so it took me seeing this mass market paperback and buying it to actually read something by Kenney.
And I've been missing out!
This is such a delicious read.I connected with Clara from the start. Louisa and the Nutcracker/Fae prince were less interesting to me, but the story was enjoyable enough to keep reading and to see what would happen next. 
And then the Sugarplum Faerie entered the stage!I absolutely adored him and Clara together. From there on out I was hooked and was cheering Clara and Sugarplum/Fin on and enjoying their super delicious romance.
For those more familiar with The Nutcracker there will probably be a lot of overlap with the original tale, but as someone who only knows the music and not the story I can tell you, you can read this without having seen The Nutcracker.
And you bet I grabbed my e-reader after finishing this book to see what books by Kenney I had lingering there.
Why should you read it:It's absolutely delicious!

 

Buy The Red Winter
FORMAT/INFO: The Red Winter was published by Tor Books on February 24th, 2026. It is 544 pages long and available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Twenty years ago, Professor Sebastian Grave killed the Beast. At least, that's what he hoped. But when word arrives that the Beast is stalking the French countryside once more, Sebastian resigns himself to returning to Gevaudan to finish the Beast once and for all. Returning to Gevaudan means facing the ghosts of his past, but also the chance to reconnect with an estranged lover Sebastian hasn't seen in two decades. But as Sebastian draws near to his destination, he realizes the situation is far more complicated than he realizes. As Frances teeters on the brink of revolution, can he slay the Beast without plunging the country into war?

The Red Winter is a fantastic reimagining of the story of the Beast of Gevaudan, one sure to appeal to fans of European-style monster-slaying adventures. It is fantastically atmospheric and does a great job of envisioning a supernatural layer to the world, creating a version of Europe closer to The Witcher in feel than standard history. There are ghosts and small monsters alongside powerful forest spirits who can grant boons - or curses. There are immortal beings who play power games from the shadows, using humans as pawns. And at the center of it all is Sebastian Grave, a man caught up in these power games by a quirk of fate.

And it is Sebastian Grave that I wrestle with the most as I wrap my head around how I feel about this book as a whole. On the one hand, Sebastian is your classic grizzled monster hunter character, one who is exceedingly good at his job and does it all with the wry weariness of someone who has seen humans be idiots far too many times in his life. But he is also morally gray, someone who proves that just because you hunt monsters, you aren't automatically a good person.

Sebastian is driven by a quest for power and by complicated feelings for a man he, despite everything, still loves. But as the book came to a close, I struggled with whether this was enough to make me interested in the character's fate. Sebastian wants power...and then what? Does anything else drive this man? There are moments in the book that raise this very question and suggest the purposelessness is part of the struggle of the character...but towards the end I found myself not quite caring.

I will also admit that I occasionally found it easy to get muddled over what events happened in which timeline. Large parts of the book take place in the same area with some of the same characters, just twenty years apart. Unlike a visual medium like film, I didn't have a constant reminder that a character has visibly aged and therefore we're in 1785, not 1765, or vice versa. It's a small note, one that is admittedly more of a personal problem, but it happened often enough I wanted to mention it.

The Red Winter is a well-crafted dark fantasy tale. Although I'm not sure how I feel about lead character Sebastian Grave, the fact that I'm still thinking about him weeks after finishing the book is a testament to how much this story got inside my head.

 

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

Tailored Realities by Brandon Sanderson

Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Series: Anthology

Publisher: Tor Books (December 9, 2025)

Length: 448 pages

Author Information: Website

I’ve always found myself somewhat on the fence when it comes to Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the books themselves, but following the ever-expanding web of connections has never been a big part of my interest. I just care that the stories stand well on their own, which is why Tailored Realities, a collection of Sanderson’s non-Cosmere short fiction, felt especially appealing. As I’ve always said, he’s also one of the rare authors whose storytelling and world-building generally leave a lasting impression, whether he’s writing ten pages or a thousand.

There are a few exceptions to that, of course. The following are my thoughts on each story, though a couple have already been previously reviewed on their own, and you can search for these earlier reviews for more detail. In addition, Tailored Realities includes three brand-new stories appearing for the first time.

Snapshot (4.5 stars)

Reviewed previously, and even better the second time around.

Brain Dump (4 stars)

A very quick and clever sci-fi vignette that wastes no time getting to the point. Imagine a near future where prospective parents can literally shop for a designer child, browsing through genetic models in a showroom. While the concept isn’t especially groundbreaking, it’s the execution that makes this story work. For one thing, it embraces brevity, and though Brain Dump reads almost like a thought exercise, sometimes that’s exactly what sci-fi needs: a simple setup, a clear social question, and the restraint to step away before it becomes overly trite and pretentious. Sanderson’s trademark humor also helps make his point without bogging things down, and despite its short length, this was one of my favorites.

I Hate Dragons (3 stars)

Speaking of experimental, this story about a boy’s magical talent for smelling good to dragons as well as his ability to hear spelling and punctuation makes for a fun little tale, and not surprisingly, it was born out of a writing exercise. Not much else to say about this one, but I did find it useful as a way to show my middle schooler what effective dialogue looks like.

Dreamer (2.5 stars)

Dreamer is a horror story about body snatchers, but it’s handled in a subtle way that’s less about what’s happening on the page and more concerned with making readers uncomfortable through ideas. In a way, this conceptual approach is very typical Sanderson, messing with your mind instead of relying on shock value. That said, this story didn’t do much for me. It’s simply much too short to leave a lasting impression, and while the ideas are interesting in theory, they aren’t explored deeply enough to make them particularly memorable.

Perfect State (3.5 stars)

Perfect State explores perceived realities and asks, what if nothing is real and our brains are simply living in fully simulated worlds tailored to our wants and needs? This is the case with the protagonist of this tale, who rules a fantasy kingdom in a simulation created just for him. He can be the hero he wants to be, even if it’s only in his own virtual existence. But does it really matter? This story examines consciousness and ambition, as well as the ways one measures satisfaction and achievement. Compared to the previous entries, this one is thematically heavier and denser in its world-building, which made it a bit harder to get into. While the concept itself is fascinating, the execution didn’t quite hold my interest and ultimately felt a little too slow to fully engage me.

Probability Zero (1.5 of 5 stars)

Ugh, I hate flash fiction, so take my rating with a grain of salt, but this story exemplifies why. Again, this one is told entirely in dialogue but has none of the charm of I Hate Dragons. At under 500 words, I barely see a point in reviewing this one, but it follows a human selected by aliens to be uplifted, and aside from a clever little twist at the end, it passed by with barely a blip on my radar. I have to say, I got far more insight from Sanderson’s author’s note for this story, which ended up being more enjoyable than the story itself.

Defending Elysium (3 stars)

I love the Skyward series, so I was giddy with a fair bit of anticipation by the time I got to Defending Elysium which apparently lays the groundwork for the Cytoverse. That said, the age of it shows, and as this is early Sanderson still developing his craft, the writing can feel a bit rough around the edges, as in heavier on description and telling rather than showing. While I’m fascinated by what feels like the origin seeds for the Skyward books, the mystery plot itself was fairly underwhelming, and the storytelling occasionally drags under too much detail. Still a neat little read though, especially if you are a Cytoverse completionist.

Firstborn (2.5 stars)

This is one I wish I had enjoyed more, and maybe I would have had I been more of a short fiction fan. However, I tend to struggle with novelettes, especially when they try to cram so much into such a small space. Firstborn is about a young man who follows in the footsteps of his legendary older brother, a brilliant and admired military strategist he knows he will never live up to. With so much potential for human conflict alone, the story barely has room to explore the characters once the epic battles are factored in. Any messages about inherited talent versus personal circumstance are completely overshadowed along the way.

Mitosis (4 stars)

Previously reviewed, this mini-story takes place in the Reckoners universe after the events of Steelheart. A quick, fun read that stands alone from the rest of the novels but worth reading for the supervillain and his cool powers alone.

Moment Zero (4.5 stars)

Moment Zero is the longest story and likely the collection’s selling point as it is also a brand-new, never-published-elsewhere-before novella. Part detective story, part time travel adventure, and part zombie apocalypse, it follows two police investigators and former lovers as they try to stop the same catastrophic event from happening, but from opposite directions in time after one is transported a few days into the past while the other is thrown forwards into the future. The dual-timeline structure here is clever, but like all time travel stories, it’s probably best not to think too hard about the mechanics behind them. Still, what’s lovely about Moment Zero is its longer page length, which gives readers more time to know the two main characters. The relationship between them carries a surprising amount of emotional depth, hitting harder than I expected for a novella. This one is hands down the best story in Tailored Realities—not only the most memorable, but the most satisfying as well.

Enter here to win a Kindle copy of Twelve Months!
Open to United States Residents. See website for rules and conditions.

 

Paladin's Strength (The Saint of Steel #2)by T. Kingfisher
What is it about:He’s a paladin of a dead god, tracking a supernatural killer across a continent. She’s a nun from a secretive order, on the trail of the raiders who burned her convent and kidnapped her sisters.
When their paths cross at the point of a sword, Istvhan and Clara will be pitched headlong into each other’s quests, facing off against enemies both living and dead. But Clara has a secret that could jeopardize the growing trust between them, a secret that will lead them to the gladiatorial pits of a corrupt city, and beyond...
What did I think of it:This is a wonderful Fantasy Romance read!
It took me some time to warm up to Istvhan and Clara, but even if I never did I'd have enjoyed the heck out of this book. I love the writing, the humor, the world, and the cozy suspense.Once again there were things I could easily figure out, but once again I think Kingfisher meant for readers to figure stuff out before the characters, so you can focus on the character's reaction when they find out.
I loved seeing Brindle in this book, by the way. He's one of my favorite characters in this world!
So yet another super enjoyable read. It's a good thing I already got hold of the other two books in this series.
Why should you read it:It's very enjoyable Fantasy Romance.

 

Official Author WebsitePreorder This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me over HERE
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Ilona Andrews is the pseudonym for the husband-and-wife writing team of Ilona & Gordon. Together, they are the co-authors of the New York Times bestselling Kate Daniels urban fantasy series, Hidden Legacy series, The Innkeeper Chronicles and a few other series. They live in Texas and enjoy plotting more adventures for the BDH to gorge on.

OFFICIAL BOOK BLURB: When Maggie wakes up cold, filthy, and naked in a gutter, it doesn’t take her long to recognize Kair Toren, a city she knows intimately from the pages of the famously unfinished dark fantasy series she’s been obsessively reading and re-reading while waiting years for the final novel.

Her only tools for navigating this gritty world of rival warlords, magic, and mayhem? Her encyclopedic knowledge of the plot, the setting, and the characters’ ambitions and fates. But while she quickly discovers she cannot be killed (though many will try!), the same cannot be said for the living, breathing characters she’s coming to love—a motley band that includes a former lady’s maid, a deadly assassin, various outrageous magical creatures, and a dangerously appealing soldier. Soon, instead of trying to get home, she finds herself enmeshed in the schemes—and attentions—of dueling princes, dukes, and villains, all while trying to save them and the kingdom of Rellas from the way she knows their stories will end: in a cataclysmic war.

FORMAT/INFO: This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me is 480 pages long divided over four named parts with forty-three chapters, and an epilogue. In this book, narration is in the first-person, exclusively via Maggie Haley. This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me is the first volume of in the Maggie The Undying epic fantasy trilogy.

March 31, 2026 will mark the North American hardback, e-book & audiobook publication of This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me via Tor Books. Cover illustration is done by Andrew Davis.

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: There are authors and then there are storytellers, there are fantasy stories and then there are epic fantasy sagas. There are books which readers read and stories that become embedded in the readers’ minds & hearts. This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews introduces us to Maggie the Undying and easily is one of the (if not THE) top read of 2026 for me (I’ve read it five times already as I write this review). This book is dedicated to readers who dreamed about getting lost in a book. I must congratulate house Andrews for the thrilling & immersive read which I experienced as I want the sequels & moar….

The story begins with our main character Maggie Haley walking up wet and naked in the city of Kair Torren, capital city of Rellas. The weird thing is until today, this was a secondary fantasy world featured in an unfinished fantasy series titled The Rise Of Kair Torren (with two published books called THE THIEVES OF THE NORTH, & THE LORDS OF THE EAST) that Maggie has been besotted with since her teenage years. Now she finds herself in that very same world and has to figure out:

-          Is this real or is she hallucinating?
-          How did she get here, and will she ever get back to our own world? -          how to stop a brutal & harrowing catastrophe from occurring as foretold within the books.

However Maggie has a few, aces up her (currently non-existent) sleeves, she has an encyclopedic knowledge of the events that have occurred and are yet to occur within this land. Plus she knows a lot about the characters’ motivations, & thoughts: both regal & commoner, and POV & non-POV ones.  This cerebral Rellaspedia will be one of her main strengths as she tries to assist certain folks to avert a huge & bloody crisis.  There’s also her other magical ability to come back from death wholly no matter the manner of her passing. She doesn’t quite know the “how and the why” of her strange ability, but she will use it to her advantage whenever she can. Maggie wants to stop the tragedy that’s set to unfold within Rellas. As she realizes that she cares deeply about the people & characters who have inhabited within her mind for the last decade or so. With everything knowledge wise at her disposal, Maggie decides to tamper with the flow of events and change the fates of hundreds (if not thousands) of people.

There are many things that I could tell you as to why I’m in love with this book (and fantasy series “I say series because while the deal is for three books but I think this story can go beyond 3 books”). Primarily it’s the authorial writing style, from their Kate Daniels saga to the Hidden Legacy series to the Innkeeper volumes. Every series of theirs has given the readers fantastic characters that they can root for or rail against. The dialogue is snappy, the prose is tight and lastly their stories are the type that entertain and become epic along the way.

(TKWNKM UK Cover)

Maggie The Undying is in many ways a quintessential Ilona Andrews story but it is also a different story than they have ever written before. It is EPIC, it is magical and if I had to do an elevator pitch for it, it would be ASOIAF meets Alice in Wonderland but without the grimdark edges. It’s a testament to the authors’ skills who can flesh out multiple characters within a singular POV story. Speaking of characterization, almost all the characters who get introduced within this first volume, are fully fledged and three dimensional. Coming from a singular POV story and especially from a first-person narrative, this facet of the story is exceptional. Books such as Assassin’s Apprentice, Kushiel’s Dart, Prince of Thorns, Name of The Wind, Blood Song, Kings of the Wyld, etc. are few and far in between. All these aforementioned titles have narrators who are charismatic and fall on all shades of the moral spectrum. Herein the authors do something akin to these stories while also providing a side character cast that is as fleshed out as the main character and have their own motivations to play out.

While Maggie has such a fascinating narrative voice, she’s still human and has her blind spots. To cover these blind spots, she has new allies and found family beside her.  I could talk more about Raymond Karis or Solentine Dagarra or Clover or even the main antagonist but I suspect the authors have plans for almost all characters. I can’t wait to see who takes bigger roles in the future sequels. I suspect quite a few of these characters will become fan favourites and I hope akin to the Kate Daniels, Innkeeper & Hidden Legacy books, the authors provide more stories from their viewpoints.

“When the Eight Families went to war, the world burned.  The Great Families had been playing musical chairs with the throne of Rellas for the last eight hundred years, and how long each dynasty lasted depended on how good they were at pitting the other seven families against each other…. the current king, had been teetering on the edge of a full psychotic break for a decade, and the tensions among the Great Families were at an all-time high.”

Another beguiling aspect of this book was the worldbuilding. In this regards, this reminded me a lot of ASOIAF & Codex Alera with its varied geographical details, the royal houses that govern the various regions & the powers they possess. The authors brilliantly provide a medieval world that’s as complex as ours and then there’s the fascinating small touches with toilet paper, clothing details, LGBT/non-binary folks inclusion and naming nomenclature. I recall when I first read A Game Of Thrones, how immersive the story was due to its worldbuilding (heraldry descriptions, world history, and geographical tenets) & similarly with Codex Alera with its Romanic culture infused lands.

With This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me, I felt a similar deep immersion and while the world is a dark, medieval one. The authors have managed to brilliant thread the needle in making it realistic but not grimdark or unnecessary violent. I must also highlight Stephanie Stein’s crucial role in the expansion of the plot from a more intimate & less political story (as envisioned by the authors originally) into this genre-bending & fun story. I had read a small excerpt of the story a few years ago & this finished version is more complex, politically intriguing and something that I didn’t know I needed. So my eternal thanks to Stephanie for her editorial hand in elevating the story alongside the authors into its current amazing form.

“It would all end in blood and fire….who wanted nothing to do with the swamp that was the powerful underbelly of Kair Torren and the narrative had crushed her in the worst way possible…”

The main plot of the story is about averting a political takeover which includes an event called “the night of thousand fires”, the event being as brutal and destructive as it sounds. The authors have shaped this story very much akin to a thriller, wherein the MC has certain knowledge of pre-ordained events and tries to carefully avert certain situations to change the eventual bloody outcome. This was fun to read as Maggie narrates what she knows and the readers get to know about it in real time as well. The joy is in finding out how she accomplishes with her cerebral Rellaspedia and what new consequences her actions unleash.

This story really flowed so smoothly because Maggie is very much a fan and so that resonated with me on such a deep level. Her love for the story and characters is something that all of us can keenly feel. Be it the six duchies or Westeros or Roshar or the Westlands or even post apocalyptic Atlanta, we the readers are transported in those worlds and care for it as deeply as our own. The world of Rellas is a brilliantly written one and as a reader, one can’t help but be drawn in via Maggie’s love and enthusiasm. The authors have meant this as a complement and given how re-readable their books are, I can only thank them for their venture into epic fantasy as I’ve been clamouring for them to do since the last decade.

Herein the book follows a semi-traditional epic fantasy plot structure but has enough twists within to differentiate it and make it fresh. I’m purposefully being vague because of spoilers but there’s a murder plot, a serial killer plot , soap-making as well as a missing person(s) mystery. Plus not to mention all the various story set-up for events that will happen in the sequels. All in all, there’s so much happening and none of it feels extraneous or excessive.

I would describe this as an epic fantasy with dark undertones as funnily the story within the Rise Of Kair Torren books is a gritty & grimdark one. But herein the authors smartly blunt those edges while still maintaining the dark feel. What I mean is that authors have provided a story that's about a dark world but the reading experience is a comfortable one. I also have to highlight that the authors are fans of David Gemmell’s heroic fantasy stories and there’s some wonderful character similarities to be found within. From the grizzled veteran to the mercenary family to the head of the assassin guild, these grey characters are so fascinatingly written that one can’t help but care for them and watch out for what they do next. There’s going to be a lot of fan favourite characters for every type of reader to root for.  The action sequences are more of the personal kind except for the climax which is a mass affair. There’s no big battles as such but the climax will provide succor to the most ardent action fantasy fan.

The prose is very solid throughout and while nobody will be calling it purple. I found it to be solid and very geared to make the readers’ experience a fascinating one. The authors’ have a knack for writing comedy and there’s just the right amount interspersed within. Another thing I wish to highlight for IA fans who have read their various series is about the epic fantasy genre. While this book is very much paced properly, readers who are more accustomed to the urban fantasy genre will have to understand the more laid-back nature of epic fantasy and the worldbuilding involved. In most (if not all) epic fantasy books, the author must worldbuild alongside laying out the story and character arcs. This leads to a seemingly slower pace as compared to urban fantasy stories wherein the worldbuilding exercise is far less intensive as the world is usually our own.

Many readers might disregard this as a romantasy book and they would be very, very wrong. This book has a tendril of romance but it’s ensconced within the story in a neat fashion. For those readers who are wanting a spicy romantic read, they won’t find this book to be that either. The authors have tried really hard to make this story into its own thing and I applaud them for it.

(Stelka picture courtesy of the authors' website)

One thing I must note is that this book & story is very, very cinematic. I could very easily visualize this as a TV series akin to Game Of Thrones with a Maggie voiceover ala Dexter. The same, charming narrative voice that Michael C. Hall so smoothly provided can be done herein. Albeit with an actor who can bring Maggie’s brilliance and spunk alive. I was thinking a young Willa Fitzgerald would have been terrific with this. I seriously hope that someone from Hollywood does consider this book series as it would make a for a thrilling, fun & addictive show.

Speaking about drawbacks, for me there were none. But to be objective, one can comment that the world is a medieval one based on European trappings and we have seen such before. The magic system is a bit unexplained and while this is book 1 so perhaps that’s understandable. There’s quite a few magical shenanigans (mage tower and its inhabitants, a mage satisfying his hunger, etc.) which happen but are conveniently left unexplained. This makes sense from Maggie’s POV as the book covers them similarly to what GRRM does in ASOIAF in keeping magic uncertain and mysterious. With this being the first book, there’s only so much the authors could include, while having to excise certain story parts to streamline the plot and this is understandable. Infact I’ve heard that the special editions of this book will have 1-2 new chapters/story sections to them which will deepen the happenings of TKWNKM.

CONCLUSION: Filled with mesmerizing characters, a medieval fantasy world that defies genre trappings and a hope-filled story that evokes joy. This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me is the exact type of exceptional fantasy that I’ve been dying to read. This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me is easily my top read of 2026 & it will be nigh impossible to top it IMHO. Get ready to meet Maggie The Undying as that’s a name you won’t be forgetting soon after March 31st 2026.

My neighbor across the street wants flowers blooming in her front yard from spring until the end of summer. To do so, she’s planted dozens of tulips, daffodil, California poppies, wildflowers, and other random bloomers.

Her yard is bright and colorful for months.

Autumn is creeping in, though—just the breath of it cooling the breeze and tempering the sunshiny days. Her flowers have done their job spectacularly, but now their colors have faded.

I love autumn, I do. But seeing her yard go fallow made me realize summer went by far too quickly. I stood at my gate wondering if I had enjoyed the sun enough. Had I drank lemonade, dipped my feet into lakes, rivers, oceans? Had I taken time to run through a sprinkler, sleep outside beneath a wide starry sky, told the people I love just how much I love them as we laughed and sang old songs?

Had I savored it enough, the sweet summer-ness of summer?

I’m happy to say YES! I did all those things! Summer was wonderful. I mean, Life has still been Life, with happy days and really sad days, hard things and joys. But time moves us all forward, and the seasons are turning once again.

I think this autumn I’ll take a hint from my neighbor. I have buckets of daffodil, iris, and tulip bulbs down in the shed. Maybe it’s time to plant them, a small hope—a promise—of more sweet summers to come.

Worldcon was a very fun experience for me this year! Here I am on day 1, waiting in the registration line. Even though I arrived just after noon on Wednesday, it took an hour for me to make it to the front of the line and there were even more people arriving behind me.

I headed straight to the dealers’ room, and was happily shopping all the tables (So Many books and authors present!) when I heard a familiar voice. Who should I see but…

the fabulous, amazing author (and terrific friend!) Nina Kiriki Hoffman!! We strolled more of the dealers room together and eventually went out for a bowl of chowder at Pike Place Chowder.

I’d just had a bowl of Mo’s Chowder a few days before, and sorry, Mo’s, Pike Place Chowder was the superior bowl.

I can’t quite remember the order of things but eventually Nina and I ended up going to Martha Wells Q&A session:

I thought it was a wonderful Q&A, and that Martha had thoughtful, interesting comments about her writing process, what she’s writing next, and even a bit of what she would take away from the Murderbot show and possibly use in her upcoming work (it’s the costuming, and how the people from Preservation leave obvious patches on their clothing to acknowledge both injuries and recovery.)

I finally caught up with my fabulous roommate (and writer friend) Diana Pharaoh Francis by the evening and if I remember right, we talked for hours and called it a day.

These were the signed books I gave away to folk on my Patreon last year:

We also have an active discord.

For higher tier Patrons I do consults and chapter critiques.

Also social media follows, early signed copies of upcoming books, and tuckerisation into new novels.

In addition, I have a collection of unpublished work including 7 books and numerous short stories that tier 3+ patrons can access.

So ... check it out!

Patreon is a great way to support authors and get involved in their work at a deeper level.

 Join my Patreon.Join my 3-emails-a-year mailing list.







.

Back in late 2023 I started writing something, and in early 2024 that something was a complete book, called The Bookshop Book. 

In this post in late 2024 I was offering folk on my Patreon access to it.

The book centres on a bookshop called ... Books.

The name is explained not as a lack of imagination on the owner's part but by the fact that the proprietor's surname is Books, and Books's Books felt rather too much for him.

All good so far.

Today a Facebook advert alerted me to a new TV series called Bookish about to drop 2 days from now. Here's a still from the trailer:

Eagle-eyed readers will notice that the bookshop (around which this series is set) is called Book's.

Moreover, it turns out that it bears this name because the proprietor (the star of the show) is a Mr Book...

So - I now expect that when The Bookshop Book hits the shelves in 2026, if Bookish turns out to be a popular show, I will be accused of copying from it.

And the point of this blogpost is simply to flag the coincidence at work here. 

Ironically, The Bookshop Book is tangentially related to The Library Trilogy, and in both works I talk about how the Library uses the currents of coincidence to bring interested parties together and manipulate the world. Coincidence?

 Join my Patreon.Join my 3-emails-a-year mailing list.

It’s been a minute since I’ve been here. I’ll be blogging more often to keep folks updated, so here we go!

First bit of news: HOUSE IMMORTAL (ebook) is now re-released with a new cover! Book two and three (INFINITY BELL and CRUCIBLE ZERO) also have new covers and are up for preorder!

Good news! I’m writing a new series set in the town of Ordinary, Oregon. It’s funny, cozy fantasy with a dash of mystery. It features new characters, and of course, many of the favorites from the Ordinary Magic series. If things go to plan, you’ll see the first three of those books out this year!

Am I knitting? Yes, of course! I made this cute little car hat for a kiddo who loves cars:

and I also tried my hand at crochet, and made the same kiddo a race track rug:

That’s it for now, friends. More new soon, so stay tuned, and happy reading!!

It’s here! It’s out! Wayward Devils, Book 4 in the Souls of the Road series is available in ebook and print!

Apple Kobo Amazon Barnes & Noble

Cursed to follow Route 66 for nearly a hundred years, Brogan and Lula Gauge have made a deal with Cupid to find the spellbook of the Gods—a book powerful enough to destroy the world.

But they aren’t the only ones looking for it.

The evil goddess, Atë, has already tried to kill them once to get the book, and now Brogan and Lula must race to find it before Atë finds them and finishes the job.

Luckily, a coven of honkey tonk witches in Shamrock, Texas claims to know where the book is hidden. But their information comes at a great price. Brogan and Lula must help the witches kill an ancient monster. To do so, they will have to form an alliance with an old enemy who wants the Gauges dead.  

Brogan and Lula’s luck is turning, but whether it’s good or bad teeters on a knife’s edge: trust the devils they know, or go all in with the wayward devils they’ve just met.

This book was a lot of fun to write, especially when a few favorite characters from Ordinary, Oregon showed up, as did a certain Crossroads I rather like. I’m SO EXCITED to share it with you all!

Happy reading!!!

(more book and writing news soon…stay tuned!)

The fabulous people over at Graphic Audio have put Brute of All Evil on sale for 60% off. That means you can get this audio, fully performed like a radio play by multiple voice actors and special effects and all the other bells and whistles, for LESS THAN THE PAPERBACK PRICE.

That, my friends, is a terrific deal. Sale will end soon, so get your hands on it soon-ish!

Daughter of The Moon Goddess ( The Celestial Kingdom #1)bought on Audible
Synopsis from Goodreads
Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.
Alone, powerless, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the emperor's son, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the prince.
To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies across the earth and skies. But when treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream—striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos.
A captivating debut fantasy inspired by the legend of Chang'e, the Chinese moon goddess, in which a young woman’s quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm. Daughter of the Moon Goddess begins an enchanting, romantic duology which weaves ancient Chinese mythology into a sweeping adventure of immortals and magic—where love vies with honor, dreams are fraught with betrayal, and hope emerges triumphant.
8.5/10* * *
This turned out surprisingly good! I started the book rolling my eyes hard at sugary romance between the prince and his companion. Classic xinxia setup! 
However, they both proved me wrong with their level of maturity. Basically, both ML and FL got over themselves pretty quickly and went on with their lives like adults. 
The secondary romance developed so fast I must have blinked and missed its onset, but it definitely added tension and depth, especially when two men had to work together. * snort* Oh, the antagonism!
I'd say the action sequences were the most interesting and best written and I wished the author elaborated more about Xingyin's missions in the army as I was entertained the most with their descriptions.
Overall, a solid four star read. Will be checking out the next book in the series. 

 

Butterflied Lover (2023)

22 episodes, watched on Viki

Synopsis from MyDramaList

Inspired by the romance of Liang Shang Bo and Zhu Ying Tai, the story revolves around two lovers who will overcome all obstacles to remain together. 

Ling Chang Feng is an honourable general and has been in a passionate marriage with his wife for the past 3 years. 

However, a strange disturbance hits their city on their third anniversary, and "madmen" run wild in the town, attacking innocent citizens violently.

 Ling Chang Feng leaves his wife behind to protect the people, but when he returns, finds that his wife has been infected by this phenomenon. 

He refuses to reveal this, as he knows that anyone who turns mad will be killed. He keeps her by his side in secret while trying to solve the cause of this frightful phenomenon.

8.5/10

* * *

It's an exceptionally well made bite size drama, folks (each episode is only 15 mins). You can see they had a very tight budget but they used it so, so well. The plot is fresh, the scenes are carefully crafted and the cinematography is masterful. I watched other two short dramas from the same director, and they were both fantastic (The Killer is Also Romantic, A Familiar Stranger). So, please, don't hesitate to invest your time in this drama.

It starts with Chang Feng and Qian Yue happily married in a fictional Chinese city state. She keeps having a recurring dream about reliving the same day until it actually happens and she gets embroiled in a tragic attack by this world's equivalent of vampires. 

After that we are taken into the past, where it shows how Chang Feng met his future wife and how their relationship developed. As she says, her memory starts from him. So she herself is full of secrets and has no memory of her past, a woman who literally had to learn anew everything. 

Their relationship develops from him looking after her as this almost childlike creature until she slowly matures and finds her strengths turning into a woman who loves fiercely. Chang Feng himself is a reticent workaholic who keeps away from politics or anything that doesn't require him just to guard his city. Qian Yue slowly changes that, and it's very sweet to see them together.

For once, the second couple's love story here is also touching and very cute. Considering that last time I saw the second male lead, he was playing the main villain in Blood of Youth, and he started as an antihero here as well, I was ready to dislike him, but he went from one dimensional, cold man to a shy, confused and hilariously out of sorts young lover pretty fast, and this melted my resolve to not like him.

Phew, I don't know how I managed not to give you any spoilers! Here is a fan vid to show you the beauty of this drama, folks. I hope after this you will give it a chance. It was great. Humorous, humane and lovely. Two thumbs up from yours truly. 

 

I've Fallen For You (2020)

24 episodes, watched on Viki

Synopsis from MyDramaList

A story that follows the quirky female investigator Tian San Qi as she searches for her long lost 'brother' and cracks many cases along the way.

Growing up, Tian San Qi had a strange liking for performing autopsies. She had an older 'brother' who would always be by her side and they spent many good years together. One day, he mysteriously disappears. San Qi as a child promises to find her true love and vows never to marry unless it's him.

In her search, she comes across many potential candidates and forms new friendships. The gang accidentally becomes involved in several cases in the area one of which seems closely related to the disappearance of her 'brother' all those years ago. A shocking conspiracy that is 10 years in the making comes to light.

~~ Adapted from the web novel "Jin Xin Ji" (锦心记) by Han Xue Fei (韩雪霏). 

8/10

* * *

Straight away I just wanted to clarify the synopsis: "brother" here is Chinese gege/older brother which can mean both your actual older brother or an older than you male you are familiar with. Same as you would be able to call an older girl -jiejie (older sister) or an older woman who is not your mom - ayi (aunty). 

This is a very cute and engaging drama despite its silly light heartedness, and the characters are very young. I can't quite pinpoint what exactly snared me in I've Fallen For You. 

It had Esther Yu whom I love since her performance in Love Between Fairy and Devil, and she is a very, very interesting actress. She is able to pull off cutest silliest pouts with great charm in her tinny tiny voice but at the same time give an impression that this is just a mask she adopted and make her moments of brilliant intelligence and sorrowful wise stares absolutely believable.

Liu Yi Chang who plays the male character, Zhao Cuo, is adorable as well. Grumpy, rough around the edges, abrasive, throwing money around and standoffish, he is actually covering his kind and trusting nature with this behaviour like a hedgehog with its needles to protect himself from getting hurt. You really feel his tentative pure nature straight away, and because he also doesn't bother to mince words, most people find him too rude and turn away until San Qi (FL) convinced that he is her long lost childhood sweetheart bulldozes him over. 

That poor boy has no chance to withstand against her, and they go through all the phases of good relationship: partnership where they gain mutual respect for each other's abilities (she is great at solving cases, he is a brilliant martial artist), friendship (when they develop an easy camaraderie to each other), and at last, love.

The way Zhao Cuo shows his love for San Qi is especially adorable. There is a scene where she decides to leave him for another guy who she thinks is her real childhood sweetheart, and Cuo after battling his inner demons for awhile accepts it to make her happy and on the day of her departure spends all morning buying her favourite foods for the road and running after the carriage. After she takes the food and drives off he just dissolves into an ugly cry right in the middle of the road. Not a pretty staged "artful tear sliding down my cheek" sort of cry, but proper ugly, suffocating, can't breathe from heartbreak cry. That really touched me.

There were quite a few moments like this, and I surprised myself really enjoying this drama. The soundtrack was a surprise too, it was more a kdrama type, rather than typical Chinese fantasy drama OST.

Overall, despite the strong comedy vibe, this was not only an entertaining but touching and adorable short drama. Recommended!

 

A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin (The Book of Tea #1)

bought on Audible

Synopsis from Goodreads

 For Ning, the only thing worse than losing her mother is knowing that it's her own fault. She was the one who unknowingly brewed the poison tea that killed her—the poison tea that now threatens to also take her sister, Shu.

When Ning hears of a competition to find the kingdom's greatest shennong-shi—masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making—she travels to the imperial city to compete. The winner will receive a favor from the princess, which may be Ning's only chance to save her sister's life.

But between the backstabbing competitors, bloody court politics, and a mysterious (and handsome) boy with a shocking secret, Ning might actually be the one in more danger.

A Venom Dark and Sweet by Judy I. Lin (The Book of Tea #2)bought on Audible
Synopsis from GoodreadsA great evil has come to the kingdom of Dàxi. The Banished Prince has returned to seize power, his rise to the dragon throne aided by the mass poisonings that have kept the people bound in fear and distrust.
Ning, a young but powerful shénnóng-shi—a wielder of magic using the ancient and delicate art of tea-making—has escorted Princess Zhen into exile. Joining them is the princess' loyal bodyguard, Ruyi, and Ning's newly healed sister, Shu. Together the four young women travel throughout the kingdom in search of allies to help oust the invaders and take back Zhen's rightful throne.
But the golden serpent still haunts Ning's nightmares with visions of war and bloodshed. An evil far more ancient than the petty conflicts of men has awoken, and all the magic in the land may not be enough to stop it from consuming the world...
7.5/10* * *
If I was breaking the rating for the two books, the first one would have 8/10 (4 stars) rating as it was more coherent and engaging than book two (3.5 stars). While listening  to the book two I caught myself drifting and missing chunks of what was happening which for me is not a good sign, hence lower rating for the duology.
The best part of this duology is its unique magic system where people with certain abilities could brew tea from any plants, herbs, berries, flowers, etc. or their combinations for different healing reactions in patients or for imbuing people with particular powers and enhancing certain reactions. This whole concept was fascinating and very well done.
Book one with its competition and much tea making was perfect in its simplicity. Ning had a goal to win and get the best medical help possible for her younger sister. She also acquired friends, enemies and a love interest along the way who rounded up the story nicely.
Getting into book two, the plot stretched itself pretty thin. Ning got bogged down in endless quests. Get to point A, grab the object X, continue to point B. And apart from the willow episode and the hike through the bamboo forest, there was nothing juicy here. Kang, the love interest, lost all colour here and quite a lot of backbone. The amount of people who got tortured and killed around him, and he, the prince of the empire, was powerless to do anything to help. I didn't like it at all. I felt like he had no spark or spine and mostly reacted to events, rather than be a force to instigate them. His father had no personality and the villain was outright cartoonish from start to finish.
*Sigh*
Overall, it's an okay listen with a refreshing magic concept. Recommended with reservations.