Fantasy readers, 2026 is not playing around.
Between long-awaited sequels, bold new debuts, and a certain Sarah J. Maas bombshell dropping at the end of the year, the release calendar is stacked from January straight through to October. Whether you read for the slow-burn romance, the dragon riders, the political intrigue, or all three at once, there is something on this list that is going to end up on your shelf.
Here are the ten most anticipated fantasy and romantasy books of 2026, ordered by release date so you can plan your reading year one title at a time.
The Wolf and the Crown of Blood by Elizabeth May
Released: January 27, 2026
If you started 2026 needing a dark romantasy to obsess over, Elizabeth May delivered it on day one of the literary calendar. The Wolf and the Crown of Blood follows Bryony, a princess born to die repeatedly as a sacrifice to appease the gods, and Evander, an immortal assassin sent to destroy her who cannot bring himself to do it. Drawing from Beauty and the Beast and Eros and Psyche, this is enemies-to-lovers with gothic atmosphere, forbidden desire, and centuries of consequences. Dark, lush, and deeply romantic, it is exactly the kind of book that turns new readers into diehard fans of an author.
Crown of War and Shadow by J.R. Ward
Released: February 17, 2026
J.R. Ward built her reputation on the Black Dagger Brotherhood paranormal romance series, so when she announced her romantasy debut, readers paid attention. Crown of War and Shadow is the first book in the Kingdoms of the Compass series and follows Sorrel, a clairvoyant orphan who makes a dangerous deal with Merc, a brooding mercenary with secrets of his own, in exchange for safe passage across a perilous world. The New York Times called it “a novel everyone will be talking about in 2026.” Ward knows how to build tension between two people who have no business falling in love, and she brings that skill into the fantasy space here.
This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews
Released: March 31, 2026
Ilona Andrews, the bestselling writing duo behind the Kate Daniels and Hidden Legacy series, makes their standalone epic fantasy debut with a wildly original premise. Maggie wakes up cold and confused in a gutter in a city she recognizes from the pages of a beloved but unfinished dark fantasy series she has read cover to cover. Armed with encyclopedic knowledge of the plot, the characters, and who betrays whom, she navigates scheming princes, dueling villains, and one significant problem: she cannot be killed, but she also cannot leave. Part portal isekai, part political fantasy, part romance, this one reads like nothing else on this list.
Rites of the Starling by Devney Perry
Released: April 7, 2026
Devney Perry’s Shield of Sparrows became a number-one New York Times bestseller and left readers frantically waiting for the follow-up. Rites of the Starling picks up immediately after the devastation of the first book, with Calandra’s five kingdoms on the verge of collapse and a crux migration coming that threatens everything. Calandra has been separated from the man she loves, hunted by monsters, and taken captive by a powerful priest, all while trying to keep a child safe. Fans of Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros have already flagged this as one of the most anticipated sequels of the year, and the early buzz matches that expectation.
Seek the Traitor’s Son by Veronica Roth
Released: May 12, 2026
The author of Divergent returns to epic fantasy with a book that centres on a prophecy with a cruel twist. Elegy Ahn is a soldier defending her small country from the powerful Talusar empire when she and the most ruthless of Talusar generals are summoned together to hear a prophecy that says one of them will lead their people to victory over the other, and that Elegy is destined to fall in love with a man at the centre of both their fates. There is everything here: enemies whose countries want them to destroy each other, destiny being an inconvenient thing, and the question of whether love and loyalty can exist in the same sentence. Roth has not lost her talent for putting impossible choices in front of characters you care about.
The Ballad of Falling Dragons by Sarah A. Parker
Released: May 19, 2026
When the Moon Hatched became a global phenomenon on BookTok, and The Ballad of Falling Dragons is the sequel that readers have been waiting on for what feels like forever. Raeve’s thirst for vengeance continues, as does her love for Kaan, the Burn’s warrior king. With the world facing its most devastating moonfall yet, Raeve must choose between chasing death and fighting for a future with the people she loves. Parker’s world is immersive, her dragon lore is distinctive, and the romance between Raeve and Kaan is the kind that makes readers stop and reread a scene twice. This will be a major release.
Mooncry by Akana Phenix
Released: July 5, 2026
If you want something fresh on this list, Mooncry is it. Set at Mount Pantheon University, a prestigious creature-training institution where students work with basilisks, dragons, and hydras, it follows Sparrow Moonfield after she is cursed to fall obsessively in love with every man she encounters emotionally, while those men are cursed to kill her. The only person who might be able to help her break it is Warren Scarbright, her most hated adversary. Dragon college, a curse that makes every romance immediately life-threatening, and a rivals-to-lovers setup that has BookTok already paying attention, this is a debut worth watching.
A Forsaken Prophecy by Stacey McEwan
Released: July 14, 2026
Stacey McEwan’s A Forbidden Alchemy was a Glacian Trilogy-level hit for the author and introduced readers to a world where magic runs through the city like a criminal enterprise. A Forsaken Prophecy is the second book in the Artisan Trilogy and picks up after a narrow escape, with Patrick, the last Alchemist, and Nina, the world’s only earth Charmer, captured by the Artisans. The enemies-to-lovers tension between Patrick and Nina is still very much alive, complicated now by the reappearance of Nina’s first love and a prophecy that could decide the outcome of the war. McEwan writes romantasy with the pacing of a thriller, and this sequel should keep that energy going.
Disenchanted by Lucy Jane Wood
Released: September 10, 2026
Lucy Jane Wood’s Rewitched series has a devoted following, and Disenchanted returns to that cosy magical world with a new story. Sage Hemlock has spent years running from her witchy inheritance after magic brought her nothing but heartache, throwing herself into her museum work and the company of her cat instead. When she accidentally triggers a curse that sends fairy tales erupting into real life around her, her carefully constructed quiet existence falls apart. Wood described the book as “light academia Hocus Pocus meets Beauty and the Beast,” and her writing has always delivered on that kind of promise. If you want warmth, found family, and a slow-burn romance that does not take itself too seriously, this is the one.
ACOTAR Book Six by Sarah J. Maas
Released: October 27, 2026
No list of anticipated 2026 fantasy releases would be complete without it. Sarah J. Maas confirmed that the next book in A Court of Thorns and Roses is coming on October 27, with a seventh following on January 12, 2027. The story she was writing grew too long for a single volume, so she split it into parts, with book six being the first of four. The fandom widely expects the focus to fall on Elain and Azriel, one of the series’ most debated will-they-won’t-they pairings. There is no title yet and very little official plot detail, but that has not stopped readers from building entire theories and reread threads in anticipation. The wait will end in October.
Make the Most of Your 2026 Reading Year
There is a lot of quality spread across this list, from dark and gothic to cosy and funny to sprawling epic fantasy. The smart move is to track what comes out each month rather than letting release days catch you off guard.
Start your pre-order list now. Come October, you will want to have cleared your schedule.