If you enjoy your summer holidays with a healthy dose of knights, dragons, assassins, and spell-binding romance, then these are the books you need to pick up!
To Bleed a Crystal Bloom by Sarah A. Parker
A darkly romantic Rapunzel reimagining from the number one Sunday Times bestselling author of WHEN THE MOON HATCHED.
“What a pretty flower to keep locked in a big, rocky tower.”
Nineteen years ago, I was plucked from the heart of a bloody massacre that spared nobody else. Small. Fragile. An enigma.
Now ward to a powerful High Master who knows too much and says too little, I lead a simple life, never straying from the confines of an imaginary line I’ve drawn around the castle grounds. Stay within. Never leave.
Out there, the monsters lurk. Inside, I’m safe … though at a cost far greater than the blood I drip into a goblet daily.
Toxic, unreciprocated love for a man who’s utterly unavailable. My savior. My protector. My almost executioner. I can’t help but be enamored with the arcane man who holds the power to pull my roots from the ground.
When voracious beasts spill across the land and threaten to fray the fabric of my tailored existence, the petals of reality will peel back to reveal an ugly truth. But in a castle puddled with secrets, none are greater than the one I’ve kept from myself.
No tower is tall enough to protect me from the horror that tore my life to shreds.
Book one in the Crystal Bloom series. Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Rebecca Yarros and Jennifer L. Armentrout.
A Dark Forgetting by Kristen Ciccarelli
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Crimson Moth (published as Heartless Hunter in North America) weaves an epic love story of a magical girl, the boy she left behind, and a deadly curse.
Sing us a song of the forest, of the Wood King who rules there, and the tithe he demands…
No matter how far Emeline Lark runs, the song of the forest reaches her, luring her away from her dreams of the stage and back to her small town and its superstitions.
But every superstition is rooted in truth, and when her grandfather goes missing Emeline will be forced to return to Edgewood and the forest beyond.
There, even Hawthorne Fell, a brooding tithe collector, cannot dissuade her from her path – a path that will lead her into the court of the fabled Wood King himself – and into a bargain with the deadliest price.
Featuring a bonus chapter exclusive to print and digital editions.
Originally published in North America as Edgewood.
Bonds of Hercules by Jasmine Mas
HERCULES IS BACK. AND YOU’RE BOUND TO LOVE HER.
In this hotly anticipated follow-up to Jasmine Mas’s BLOOD OF HERCULES, the stakes are higher and the villains darker than ever…
Every hero has their monsters.
And Alexis is bound to hers: tied eternally, irrevocably to the Underworld’s dark heirs in a marriage that has shaken the foundations of Olympus – and everything Alexis once believed. Reeling, she enlists in the Assembly of Death with her mentors, set on wrecking vengeance on her husbands and uncovering the truth behind her deadly powers.
She will soon teach them all that a god can’t be manacled. And a monster can’t be caged…
Empire of the Dawn by Jay Kristoff
From holy cup comes holy light;
The faithful hands sets world aright.
And in the Seven Martyrs’ sight,
Mere man shall end this endless night.
Gabriel de León has lost his family, his faith, and his last hope of ending the endless night – the Holy Grail, Dior. With no desire left but vengeance, he and a band of loyal brothers journey into the war-torn heart of the Augustin Empire to claim the life of the Forever King.
Unbeknownst to the Last Silversaint, the Grail still lives – speeding towards Augustin’s besieged capital in the frail hope of ending Daysdeath forever. But deadly treachery awaits within the halls of power, and the Forever King’s legions march ever closer. Gabriel and Dior will be drawn into a final battle that will shape the very fate of the Empire, but as the sun sets for what may be the last time, there will be no-one left for them to trust.
Not even each other.
From Sunday Times bestselling author of The Nevernight Chronicle, Jay Kristoff, comes the epic conclusion to the #1 internationally bestselling series.
The Princess Knight by Cait Jacobs
A princess desperate to win back the prince who broke her heart follows him to his kingdom’s prestigious military academy – and in doing so, falls in love, saves the realm, and continues to look fabulous, in this romantic debut fantasy.
‘A romantasy for the (middle) ages’
THE DAILY CHAINMAIL
‘This blonde is a knight to behold – and the queen of our hearts’
ROLLING THRONE
Prince Domhnall and Princess Clía are the perfect royal match – that is until he ruins everything by refusing to propose. Heartbroken but determined, Clía wins a place at Domhnall’s military academy to win him back. After all, how hard can duelling really be?
Warrior Ronan has no time for blonde princesses. Even if she is…well, cute. He tells himself there’s no harm training her. Even if his heart does race around her. Even if Domhnall is his best friend.
But, as they say, love is a battlefield – and unfortunately for them, a very real war is looming on the horizon. It’s a fight that will threaten their kingdoms…and their hearts.
Dragon Republic (Collector’s Edition) by R. F. Kuang (The Poppy War #2)
The searing follow-up to 2018’s most celebrated fantasy debut – THE POPPY WAR.
Rin is on the run…
Haunted by the atrocity she committed to save her people, addicted to opium, and driven by the murderous commands of Phoenix, the vengeful god who has blessed Rin with her fearsome power.
Rin’s only reason for living is to get revenge on the traitorous Empress who sold her homeland, Nikan, to her enemies.
With no other options, Rin joins forces with the powerful Dragon Warlord, who has a plan to conquer Nikan, unseat the Empress, and create a new Republic. She throws herself into his war.
After all, making war is all she knows how to do…
Human Rites by Juno Dawson
THE COVEN IS BACK in HUMAN RITES, the spectacular, hotly anticipated conclusion to Juno Dawson’s SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE bestselling HER MAJESTY’S ROYAL COVEN series.
The Coven is reunited but broken…
Niamh is back from the dead … but she hasn’t come back alone. Elle mourns a son she never had. Ciara languishes in a prison for witches. And Leonie reels from a very unexpected surprise.
Five very different witches with one thing in common: they were unwittingly chosen by the dangerously charming Lucifer, the demon king of desire, to fulfil a dark prophecy.
But Lucifer has deadly offer for fledgling witch Theo: help him and her coven – her family – will be spared as the rest of humanity perishes in a hellish new reality. Save the ones she loves? Or save the world? The choice is hers…
The final confrontation between good and evil is about to commence in the spectacular conclusion to the insatiable Her Majesty’s Royal Coven.
Vesselless by Cortney L. Winn
The sensational enemies-to-lovers romantasy debut following the heir to a fantasy kingdom, and the seductive spirit sent to claim her soul.
‘I’ve seen monsters, Nizzara, and you are not one of them. A little beast maybe, but not a monster.’
Nizzara has always been able to perceive spirits better than the average caster. When she enters a deadly tournament to end her betrothal, she’s determined to win without succumbing to the addictive spirit magic she channels or taking a life in the duel ring. Finding herself outmatched, Nizzara must face her fear of power and team up with Dagen – an enemy who is half-ghost and all charm – to survive the tournament.
Dagen, the last King of Zarr, was killed by Nizzara’s father ten years ago. Now a half-ghost – able to phase between his human and spirit form – he is stuck in another realm, hunting wretched souls. When his keeper offers him a chance to reclaim his freedom in exchange for Nizzara’s soul, Dagen takes the deal.
There’s only one catch: she must freely give it to him by the tournament’s end or his own soul is forfeit.
Perfect for fans of Fourth Wing and The Serpent and the Wings of Night, Vesselless is a spellbinding fantasy of magic and intrigue – and a tantalizing slow burn that will have you hooked until the very last page.
A War of Wyverns by S. F. Williamson
REBELLION HAPPENS IN THE SHADOWS
Vivien Featherswallow has uncovered the secret language of dragons. Now can she use it to end a war?
The extraordinary sequel to the instant #1 Sunday Times Bestseller, A Language of Dragons
Vivien Featherswallow has translated a secret language of dragons – sparking an all-out civil war, with dragons and humans fighting on both sides, in the process.
And after defeating Prime Minister Wyvernmire and escaping Bletchley Park, Vivien has become the reluctant face of the rebellion – and been labelled the most wanted criminal in Britain. But what good is a rebel who must remain in hiding, powerless to help her friends?
Unsure of her purpose, and torn with doubt about the life she thought she was meant to lead, Vivien travels to the remote Scottish Isles to find a mysterious, long-forgotten species of dragon – one which might hold the key to ending the war… forever.
An epic, sweeping, unputdownable fantasy, A War of Wyverns is the unmissable sequel to the instant #1 Sunday Times Bestseller, A Language of Dragons.
S. F. Williamson’s book ‘A Language of Dragons’ was a No.1 Sunday Times bestseller w/c 2025-01-06.
The Macabre by Kosoko Jackson
A picture is worth a thousand nightmares…
The twisty and compelling adult dark fantasy debut from award-winning author, Kosoko Jackson.
Struggling painter Lewis Dixon can’t shake the feeling there’s something powerful – and slightly disturbing – about his work. Especially when the British Museum begin to show a surprising interest in his most horrifying piece, a recreation of one of his ancestor’s infamous paintings.
He accepts their invitation only to be met with a test: to see if he possesses the magic necessary to enter the paintings – and the strength to escape them. Because his ancestor’s pieces carry unnatural abilities and a terrible curse. And Lewis must destroy them all.
Under orders from the museum and partnered with handsome agent Noah, Lewis plunges into a world of black markets, gothic magic, and unspeakable terror. But if he’s to succeed, he’ll have to locate the long-lost final work, and its powers might be the most devastating of all…
Burial Witch by Cari Thomas
From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Threadneedle comes this enchanting new novella
“The unopenable box. A mythical object that appears in fairy tales and folklore across all cultures around the world. Sometimes the box can only be opened by the right person at the right time, such a rightful heir, and in other tales it is considered a warning. A test given to the protagonist who are typically forbidden from opening the box. When they eventually succumb, what they unleash cannot be put back in.”
At home one memorable summer, Miranda unearths a mysterious suitcase in her attic that once belonged to her late grandmother. Inside, she finds a strange and unopenable wooden box.
Determined to discover what’s inside, she ends up enlisting the help of Maya, the owner of a local spiritualist shop, and is drawn into a world of witchcraft, magic and temptation.
As she tries to keep up appearances as the perfect daughter, her discovery threatens to tear everything apart, putting everyone around her in danger.
Can she find a way to stay in control or would the box have been better left buried?
Taking place before events in Threadneedle and Shadowstitch, this is a perfect read for not just fans of the series, but for anyone who loves to be transported by magical fantasy.
Katabasis by R. F. Kuang
Prepare for one hell of a journey…
Katabasis, noun, Ancient Greek. The story of a hero’s descent to the underworld.
Grad student Alice Law has only ever had one goal: to become the brightest mind in the field of analytic magick.
But the only person who can make her dream come true is dead and – inconveniently – in Hell. And Alice, along with her biggest rival Peter Murdoch, is going after him.
But Hell is not as the philosophers claim, its rules are upside-down, and if she’s going to get out of there alive, she and Peter will have to work together.
That’s if they can agree on anything.
Will they triumph, or kill each other trying?
2025’s most unexpected love story is going to be hell in the new No.1 Sunday Times bestselling novel by R.F. Kuang.
Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross
Blockbuster bestseller Rebecca Ross returns to the world of international sensation Divine Rivals with her most epic story yet.
Before Iris sat at her typewriter and before Enva sang her song, a young goddess wandered dreams…
Born to the firelit domain of the underworld, Matilda is the youngest goddess of her clan, blessed with humble messenger magic. But in a land where gods kill each other for magic, Matilda must come of age sooner than most. She may be known to carry letters through the realms, but she also carries secrets of her own: one of them deadly, the other a mortal boy who dreams of her, despite the fact they have never met…
Ten years ago, Vincent of Beckett wrote to Matilda on the darkest night of his life – begging the goddess he befriended in dreams for aid. But his prayer went unanswered, forever hardening his heart against the gods. That is until the same goddess comes tumbling through his window, bearing a letter to change both their destinies. For Matilda and Vincent are tangled together by threads of fate and the promise of a future beyond dreams, one that might rewrite the dark, blood-soaked ways of the gods…or end them.
When the Moon Hatched (Deluxe Edition) by Sarah A. Parker
MAGIC. DRAGONS. ROMANCE. THE No.1 BESTSELLING FANTASY PHENOMENON
This newly created edition has a beautiful bespoke cover design from the original edition cover illustrator, with a specially designed sprayed fore-edge and exquisitely foiled board.
She’s an assassin on the run
Raeve’s job is to complete orders and never get caught. Until a rival assassin devastates her world, and she is captured by a group of powerful fae.
He’s the dragon rider who’ll stop at nothing to save her
Crushed by the loss of his great love, Kaan Vaegor hunts the world for answers. Then a clue lures him to the capital’s high-security prison, where he finds Raeve …
Together, they’ll burn it all down
Now they seek truths that threaten to shatter everything they knew about their world – and each other.
No.1 bestselling sensation When the Moon Hatched will transport you into a world filled with magic, dragons and a love that blazes through the ages…
Royal Gambit by Daniel O’Malley
The long-awaited fourth instalment in the acclaimed Checquy Files, Royal Gambit is O’Malley at his brilliant best. Perfect for fans of The Umbrella Academy and The Dresden Files.
Alexandra ‘Alix’ Dennis‑Palmer‑Hudson‑Gilmore‑Garnsey, the twelfth Lady Mondegreen, has never had any control of her life. Her supernatural ability to shatter bones with a touch made her the automatic property of the Checquy, the secret British government agency that deals with the supernatural. Her aristocratic ancestry made Alix the perfect asset for the Checquy to deploy close to the royal family.
Since childhood, Alix has been coached to befriend Princess Louise, second in line to the throne, but despite all machinations, the two have never been close. Now an adult and a full Pawn of the Checquy, Alix is a skilled investigator unravelling supernatural manifestations for the security of the nation.
Everything changes when Louise’s brother, the Prince of Wales, dies abruptly, and all signs point to an unnatural assassination. To protect Louise, the new and unwilling heir apparent, Alix is assigned to be her lady‑in‑waiting. Thrust into the limelight overnight – both in the everyday world and in the underground world of the Checquy – Alix must juggle her responsibilities and her loyalties as she attempts to unravel the murder, keep Louise safe, and learn how to smile graciously while eerie threats loom around every corner.
Warrior Princess Assassin by Brigid Kemmerer
Who should you trust?
Warrior King Maddox Kyronan’s fire magic has earned him a ruthless reputation. But now his kingdom is slowly burning, a blaze he cannot control, and his one chance to save it is a marriage alliance with the neighbouring royal family of Astranza and their power to manipulate the weather.
Who should you love?
As war looms on the horizon, Princess Jory’s home needs this alliance. But her family is hiding a dangerous secret: their magic is fading. When she meets her intended he sets her heart aflame, but what will he do when he realises she’s deceiving him?
Who should you kill?
Once a young nobleman causing mischief with Jory in Astranza’s palace, Asher is now part of the Hunter’s Guild. When a lucrative job arises, he can’t refuse – until he sees the targets. Someone wants King Maddox and Princess Jory dead. Now Asher must decide what he’s willing to do to protect the woman he loves and the king she’s about to marry.
House of the Beast by Michelle Wong
Step into the House of the Beast with this dark fantasy debut from The Legend of Korra graphic novel illustrator Michelle Wong – featuring illustrations throughout by the author.
You are a very lucky young lady, to be chosen by the Dread Beast.
Alma would not have chosen the Beast. But when her mother falls ill, she is not left with the luxury of choice. After all, luxury was never something they could afford.
Forced into a desperate bargain with her estranged father and his house, one of the noble families that serve the gods and wield their powers, she irrevocably binds herself to the Dread Beast, the most fearsome of the gods. However, it is a vow made in vain when death comes for her mother anyway.
Now vengeance is Alma’s sole aim. And she has a god on her side – a beautiful, eldritch monster with starlit hair. The Beast that has chosen her.
A darkly enchanting fairy tale with blood on its teeth, House of the Beast is a story of revenge, resilience, and the power of love to see us through the darkness – beautifully illustrated throughout by the author.
Rose in Chains by Julie Soto
HE’S HER GREATEST ENEMY … AND HER DEEPEST DESIRE
The war is over, the dark forces have won, and the hero who was supposed to save them is dead.
Captured as her castle is overrun by the enemy, Princess Briony Rosewood is stripped of her magic and auctioned off to the highest bidder.
She’s sold to Toven Hearst: scion of a family known for their cruel control of magic – and her long-time, and unresolved, infatuation. Yet despite the horrors of her new world and the role she must learn to play within it, all is not lost.
Help – and hope – may yet arise in the most unlikely of places…
New York Times bestselling author Julie Soto crafts a lush romantic fantasy that’s filled with intrigue, magic, and an irresistible enemies-to-lovers romance.
The Last Soldier of Nava by Yejin Suh
In this Korean mythology inspired sapphic fantasy, a young woman with shadow magic is awakened after a thousand years to heal her nation and her own troubled memory, even as she falls for the sister of a saint she killed in her past life.
According to legend, the Soldier drowned entire kingdoms in darkness.
Yet, the Soldier was only a girl, robbed of her will and raised as a weapon for her power-hungry father. When she awakens years later, freedom takes the form of a hidden life and a new name: Shadow.
As war brews and magical dead zones devour the natural world, Shadow is captured and pulled back into court life by her immortal father’s new prodigy, Scarlet, a diabolical woman obsessed with her sister’s murder. A murder Shadow herself committed in a past life.
Shadow’s control over darkness holds the key to restoring the balance of their world, but a serpentine court hides greed, corruption, and her father’s new plot to resurrect his fading magic.
If she’s to survive and save her nation, Shadow will have to hide her past and rely on the woman who captured her—even as they unwind the legends that brought them together and face their growing attraction.
Cat Dragon by Samantha Birch
In the whimsical world of Tangleroot Valley, magic flows like the seasons, and every witch has her cat dragon – except Aloysia Papplewick.
She’s far from bonding with her fiery feline familiar, and with her magical farm in chaos, her prattling pumpkin patch meddling in her life and the annual Harvest Festival to prepare for, Aloysia has enough to handle – even before her best friend’s insufferable brother, Hollis, brings danger and distraction to her door.
When she and Hollis are whisked away on a quest to a mysterious mountain, Aloysia must contend with magic, mayhem – and a spark she never expected.
Embrace the magic as this delightful tale weaves a cozy spell of adventure, self-discovery, friendship and romance. For fans of Studio Ghibli, Harry Potter, The Spellshop and cottagecore.
The Sacred Space Between by Kalie Reid
A devout iconographer must paint an exiled saint in this sumptuous gothic romantasy full of slow-burn tension and windswept moors, for fans of DIVINE RIVALS and A STUDY IN DROWNING
‘Nothing less than blasphemy brought you to me,’ Jude told her. Maeve trembled. He was an open flame. Any closer, and she’d burn.
Jude is a saint with dangerous magic – exiled by the Abbey to live out his days alone in a decaying estate on the moors – until gifted iconographer Maeve is sent to paint his icon. Suspecting she’s a spy for her beloved Abbey, Jude makes it his mission to get rid of Maeve as soon as possible. That is, until he discovers that Maeve holds the same tainted magic as he does, and she may be the key to destroying the Abbey’s power…
But this institution has eyes everywhere, and the only thing the Abbey loves more than a saint is a martyr.
The Sirens by Emilia Hart
From the critically acclaimed, bestselling author of Weyward: FOUR SISTERS, SEPARATED BY HISTORY, BOUND BY THE SEA
When Lucy arrives at her sister’s house in a wild panic, she doesn’t find the solace she’s desperately seeking – only an abandoned house, in a town steeped in mystery.
As Lucy searches for her sister, instead she uncovers tales of missing men. Stories of women drowned just off the coast two hundred years before. Rumours of their voices on the waves.
Can the voices lead Lucy to her sister – or are they trying to pull them both under?
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R. R. Martin
A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS compiles the first three official prequel novellas to George R.R. Martin’s ongoing masterwork, A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE.
A century before A GAME OF THRONES, two unlikely heroes wandered Westeros…
Before Tyrion Lannister and Podrick Payne there was Dunk and Egg.
A young, naïve but courageous hedge knight, Ser Duncan the Tall towers above his rivals – in stature if not experience. Tagging along with him is his diminutive squire, a boy called Egg – whose true identity must be hidden from all he and Dunk encounter: for in reality he is Aegon Targaryen, and one day he will be king. Improbable heroes though they be, great destinies lie ahead for Dunk and Egg; as do powerful foes, royal intrigue, and outrageous exploits.
Set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne, and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory, and featuring more than 160 illustrations by Gary Gianni, one of the finest fantasy artists of our time, this beautiful volume will transport readers to the world of the Seven Kingdoms in an age of bygone chivalry.
Silver and Blood by Jessie Mihalik
On a deadly mission to kill the mythical beast that has been haunting her woods, a desperate mage finds her fate intertwined with the handsome and powerful man who saves her in this dark and sexy romantasy – perfect for readers of Jennifer L. Armentrout, Callie Hart, and Holly Black.
There’s something in the woods…
When a vicious beast begins attacking her fellow villagers, Riela reluctantly agrees to enter the forbidden forest and kill the monster as she’s the only mage available – or so she thought.
Untrained and barely armed, Riela is quickly overwhelmed when one beast turns into two. She fears her death is at hand until the unexpected arrival of a scarred, strikingly handsome man with gleaming moonlit magic changes her fate – and provides a rare opportunity to learn more about her own fickle power.
After being rescued and healed from her fight in the forest, Riela awakens in a magical castle complete with a gorgeous library, a strange wolf, and the surly man who saved her life. She soon learns Garrick is both more powerful and far deadlier than a mere mortal mage –he’s a dangerous Etheri who has been locked out of his kingdom in Lohka for nearly a century, and his powers are weakening.
Trapped in his castle and surrounded by the treacherous woods, the spark of attraction between Riela and Garrick slowly ignites into fiery desire. But the more they discover about Riela’s magic, the more suspicious Garrick grows of her identity. As they unravel the secrets and lies connecting Riela’s past to Garrick’s, the tenuous threads of trust between them start to fray.
Because Riela’s life –or her death – might be the key to regaining everything Garrick has lost.