Fantasy readers, 2026 is treating us well. We've already gotten some incredible releases in the first few months, and the rest of the year is loaded with sequels, debuts, and a Korean epic that's been waiting two decades for an English translation. From cozy cat shelters to bloody academies, there's a fantasy book here for every mood.
Here are our ten picks for the best fantasy of 2026.
1. Isles of the Emberdark
By Brandon Sanderson
Brandon Sanderson expands his Sixth of the Dusk novella into a full Cosmere novel, and the result is unlike anything he's written before. Sixth of the Dusk is a traditional trapper navigating the deadly islands of Patji, racing to modernize his people before invaders from the stars arrive. Starling, meanwhile, is a young dragon chained in human form aboard a starship. Sanderson blends island mythology with far-future Cosmere lore in a standalone that works for newcomers and rewards longtime fans. The worldbuilding is dense, the stakes are personal, and the Aviar birds remain some of his coolest creations.
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2. The Wolf and the Crown of Blood
By Elizabeth May
Bryony Devaliant was born to die and be resurrected—her royal blood keeps the peace between gods and mortals in Vartena. When an immortal assassin called the Wolf is sent to restore order, he finds he can't destroy his target. What follows is a dark enemies-to-lovers romance inspired by Beauty and the Beast and Eros and Psyche. Elizabeth May writes with intensity, and the worldbuilding around divine sacrifice and forbidden desire hits hard. This is the first book in the Broken Accords series, and if you loved our romantasy picks, put this at the top of your list.
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3. Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter
By Heather Fawcett
Set in 1920s Montreal, this cozy fantasy follows Agnes, a type-A cat rescue manager who needs a new home for her shelter. The only landlord willing to rent to her is Havelock—a notorious magician running an illegal magic shop out of his basement. Heather Fawcett (the Emily Wilde series) nails the cozy fantasy tone without making it feel weightless. The slow-burn romance between Agnes and Havelock has real spark, and the magical cats are exactly as charming as you'd hope. Already a New York Times bestseller, and for good reason.
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4. The Red Winter
By Cameron Sullivan
Cameron Sullivan's debut reimagines the real-life hunt for the Beast of Gevaudan in pre-revolutionary France—except here, the beast is real and the hunter is a centuries-old monster-slayer named Sebastian Grave. With the help of the demon Sarmodel, Grave tracked the creature twenty years ago, and the fight nearly killed him. Now it's back. Sullivan writes history with a horror edge: think Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell meets The Witcher, with gorgeous prose and a romance that genuinely hurts. At 544 pages, it earns every one.
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5. Daughter of Crows
By Mark Lawrence
Mark Lawrence returns to grimdark with the first book in The Academy of Kindness trilogy. A hundred girls are sold to the Academy each year. Ten years later, only three emerge—cast as agents of retribution in the image of the Furies. Lawrence has always excelled at writing characters forged in brutality who retain their humanity, and this new series promises the same. If you've read his Library Trilogy or Broken Empire, you know what to expect: sharp writing, dark humor, and a protagonist you shouldn't root for but absolutely will.
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6. The Tapestry of Fate
By Shannon Chakraborty
The sequel to The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi sends our favorite semi-retired medieval pirate captain on her most impossible mission yet: steal a spindle capable of rewriting fate from a sorceress on an island no one can escape. Chakraborty's first Amina book was one of our best fantasy picks for 2024, and the sequel doubles down on swashbuckling adventure, Middle Eastern mythology, and Amina's refusal to act her age. At nearly 500 pages, it's a proper epic—and Amina remains one of fantasy's most entertaining narrators.
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7. The Heart of the Nhaga
By Lee Young-do (translated by Anton Hur)
Originally published in Korean in 2003, The Bird That Drinks Tears is finally getting an English translation—and it's been worth the wait. The story unfolds in a world shared by four races: humans, the bird-like Rekon, flame-wielding Tokkebi, and the reptilian Nhaga, who give up their hearts to achieve immortality. It's the kind of deeply imagined secondary world that fans of Malazan or Stormlight will appreciate, but filtered through Korean storytelling traditions that make it feel genuinely fresh. Translator Anton Hur (who won the International Booker) brings it across with care.
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8. Land
By Maggie O'Farrell
The author of Hamnet turns to Ireland during the Great Famine, following a mapmaker whose encounter in a mysterious wood changes the course of his family across generations. O'Farrell writes historical fiction infused with folklore and magic—not quite traditional fantasy, but close enough to earn a spot here. Her prose is among the best working today, and Land tackles colonization, survival, and the connection between people and place with the same emotional precision that made Hamnet a modern classic. Add it to your ShelfHop bookshelf for more recommendations in this vein.
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9. The Knave and the Moon
By Rachel Gillig
The conclusion to Rachel Gillig's Stonewater Kingdom duology arrives in September, following the #1 New York Times bestselling The Knight and the Moth. Aisling Cathedral lies in ruins. The king has taken Sybil Delling as his captive bride. And a mysterious knave with no memory rises through tournament lists, offering Sybil her only chance at escape. Gillig writes Gothic fantasy with genuine atmosphere—dark castles, sinister courts, and romance that cuts. If you read the first book, this finale raises the stakes in every direction.
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10. The Thrice-Bound Fool
By Christopher Buehlman
The sequel to The Blacktongue Thief might be the most fun fantasy book on this list. Kinch Na Shannack, professional thief and incurable trickster, needs to decipher a stolen sentient tome that tries to kill him every time he opens it. Galva, death's sworn handmaiden, keeps him alive—not because she likes him (though the cheeky bastard is growing on her) but because the book holds the key to stopping shadowy tyrants. Buehlman writes with the energy of someone telling you a story at a tavern after several drinks, and it's infectious. October can't come fast enough.
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From cozy cat magic to grimdark academies and Korean epic fantasy, 2026 has something for every kind of fantasy reader. Want picks tailored to your taste? Drop your favorites into ShelfHop and let us find your next obsession. And if you're in the mood for sci-fi instead, check out our best science fiction books of 2026.