There’s something exciting about figuring out what books will make your TBR list.
We’ve compiled a list of fantasy novels releasing in the back half of this year that you’ll want to keep an eye out for, whether they’re the latest installment in a beloved series, the beginning of a brand new series, or a standalone novel that you’ll want to sink your teeth into.
These fantasy novels are sure to take us on some wonderful adventures.
In order of release date, here are 15 fantasy novels we’re looking forward to reading in the back half of 2024:
1. The Phoenix Keeper by S.A. MacLean – August 15
Alia’s living her dream — she’s the head phoenix keeper at a zoo. But when her beloved phoenix is in danger of going extinct, Alia will have to convince her college rival to help her, which will be quite the challenge. The Phoenix Keeper by S.A. MacLean releases on August 15.
Book Description: As head phoenix keeper at a world-renowned zoo for magical creatures, Aila’s childhood dream of conserving critically endangered firebirds seems closer than ever. There’s just one glaring caveat: her zoo’s breeding program hasn’t functioned for a decade. When a tragic phoenix heist sabotages the flagship initiative at a neighboring zoo, Aila must prove her derelict facilities are fit to take the reins.
But saving an entire species from extinction requires more than stellar animal handling skills. Carnivorous water horses, tempestuous thunderhawks, mischievous dragons… Aila has no problem wrangling beasts. But mustering the courage to ask for help from the hotshot griffin keeper at the zoo’s most popular exhibit? Virtually impossible.
Especially when that hotshot griffin keeper happens to be her arch-rival from college: Luciana, an annoyingly brooding and insufferable know-it-all with the face of a goddess who’s convinced that Aila’s beloved phoenix would serve their cause better as an active performer rather than as a passive conservation exhibit. With the world watching and the threat of poachers looming, Aila’s success is no longer merely a matter of keeping her job…
She is the keeper of the phoenix, and the future of a species — and her love life — now rests on her shoulders.
2. Wisteria by Adalyn Grace – August 20
The final book in the Belladonna trilogy is almost here. Blythe’s determined to annoy her new husband every day for the rest of their lives, but the more time she spends with him, the more she uncovers about her past. Wisteria by Adalyn Grace hits shelves on August 20.
Book Description: Blythe Hawthorn has never let anyone tell her what to do — not society, not her overprotective father, and certainly not the man she’s bound herself to, no matter how rude and insufferable he is. In fact, she’s determined to be a thorn in his side for the rest of her days, even as he ensures that her new life in his palace is anything but a fairytale. But as Blythe discovers a new side to herself that links her to his past, she’ll have to ask herself if she’s willing to let an unexpected spark ignite…and if she’s willing to discover the truth about her past.
3. Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma – September 3
Kidan infiltrates Uxlay University and lives with the vampire she believes stole June, her sister, in an attempt to get answers. Soon, there’s another murder eerily similar to June’s, and Kidan learns that there’s something much bigger going on. Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma is the first book in a new trilogy and hits shelves on September 3.
Book Description: It began long before my time, but something has always hunted our family.
Orphaned heiress Kidan Adane grew up far from the arcane society she was born into, where human bloodlines gain power through vampire companionship. When her sister, June, disappears, Kidan is convinced a vampire stole her — the very vampire bound to their family, the cruel yet captivating Susenyos Sagad.
To find June, Kidan must infiltrate the elite Uxlay University — where students study to ensure peaceful coexistence between humans and vampires and inherit their family legacies. Kidan must survive living with Susenyos — even as he does everything he can to drive her away. It doesn’t matter that Susenyos’s wickedness speaks to Kidan’s own violent nature and tempts her to surrender to a life of darkness. She must find her sister and kill Susenyos at all costs.
When a murder mirroring June’s disappearance shakes Uxlay, Kidan sinks further into the ruthless underworld of vampires, risking her very soul. There she discovers a centuries-old threat — and June could be at the center of it. To save her sister, Kidan must bring Uxlay to its knees and either break free from the horrors of her own actions or embrace the dark entanglements of love—and the blood it requires.
4. The Lies We Conjure by Sarah Henning – September 17
Ruby and Wren take what appears to be an easy job — pose as this woman’s grandchildren at a dinner — but they become trapped in a manor full of witches and at least one of those witches is a murderer. The Lies We Conjure by Sarah Henning hits shelves on September 17.
Book Description: Ruby and her sister, Wren, are normal, middle-class Colorado high school students working a summer job at the local Renaissance Fest to supplement their meager college savings.
So when an eccentric old lady asks them to impersonate her long-absent grandchildren at a fancy dinner party at the jaw-dropping rate of two grand –each — for a single night… Wren insists it’s a no-brainer. Make some cash, have some fun, do a good deed.
But less than an hour into the evening at the mysterious Hegemony Manor, Ruby is sure she must have lost her mind to have agreed to this.
The hostess is dead, the gates are locked, and a magical curse ensures no one can leave until they solve both her murder and the riddles she left behind — in just three days. Because everyone else at this party is a powerful witch. And if the witches realize Ruby and Wren are imposters? The sisters won’t make it out of Hegemony Manor alive.
5. A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft – September 17
Lorelei and her academic rival, Sylvia, are forced to work together to uncover the truth behind their professor’s murder. A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft releases on September 17.
Book Description: Lorelei Kaskel, a folklorist with a quick temper and an even quicker wit, is on an expedition with six eccentric nobles in search of a fabled spring. The magical spring promises untold power, which the king wants to harness to secure his reign of the embattled country of Brunnestaad. Lorelei is determined to use this opportunity to prove herself and make her wildest, most impossible dream come to become a naturalist, able to travel freely to lands she’s only ever read about.
The expedition gets off to a harrowing start when its leader — Lorelei’s beloved mentor — is murdered in her quarters aboard their ship. The suspects are her five remaining expedition mates, each with their own motive. The only person Lorelei knows must be innocent is her longtime academic rival, the insufferably gallant and maddeningly beautiful Sylvia von Wolff. Now in charge of the expedition, Lorelei must find the spring before the murderer strikes again — and a coup begins in earnest.
But there are other dangers lurking in the forests that rearrange themselves at night, rivers with slumbering dragons waiting beneath the water, and shapeshifting beasts out for blood.
As Lorelei and Sylvia grudgingly work together to uncover the truth — and resist their growing feelings for one another — they discover that their professor had secrets of her own. Secrets that make Lorelei question whether justice is worth pursuing, or if this kingdom is worth saving at all.
6. The Thirteenth Child by Erin A. Craig – September 24
Hazel’s been blessed with the ability to know how to cure any ailment, but this gift is also a curse that tells her when someone is marked for death. She is soon tasked with saving someone she knows is marked for death — the king. The Thirteenth Child by Erin A. Craig releases on September 24.
Book Description: All gifts come with a price.
Hazel Trépas has always known she wasn’t like the rest of her siblings. A thirteenth child, promised away to one of the gods, she spends her childhood waiting for her godfather — Merrick, the Dreaded End — to arrive.
When he does, he lays out exactly how he’s planned Hazel’s future. She will become a great healer, known throughout the kingdom for her precision and skill. To aid her endeavors, Merrick blesses Hazel with a gift, the ability to instantly deduce the exact cure needed to treat the sick.
But all gifts come with a price. Hazel can see when Death has claimed a patient — when all hope is gone — and is tasked to end their suffering, permanently. Haunted by the ghosts of those she’s killed, Hazel longs to run. But destiny brings her to the royal court, where she meets Leo, a rakish prince with a disdain for everything and everyone. And it’s where Hazel faces her biggest dilemma yet — to save the life of a king marked to die. Hazel knows what she is meant to do and knows what her heart is urging her toward, but what will happen if she goes against the will of Death?
7. Heir by Sabaa Tahir – October 1
Sabaa Tahir is taking us back into the world of An Ember in the Ashes with a brand new duology that follows a new trio as they make their way in this world. Heir by Sabaa Tahir releases on October 1.
Book Description: An orphan.
An outcast.
A prince.
And a killer who will bring an empire to its knees.Growing up in the Kegari slums, AIZ has seen her share of suffering. An old tragedy fuels her need for vengeance, but it is love of her people that propels her. Until one hot-headed mistake lands her in an inescapable prison, where the embers of her wrath ignite.
Banished from her tribe for an unforgiveable crime, SIRSHA is a down-on-her-luck tracker who speaks to the earth, air, and water to trace her marks. Destitute, she agrees to hunt down a killer who has murdered children across the Empire. All she has to do is carry out the job and get paid. But then, she falls for a charismatic and inconvenient fugitive who keeps getting in her way.
QUIL is the crown prince of the Empire, nephew of a famed and venerated empress, but he’s loathe to pick up the mantle when his aunt steps down. As the son of the most hated emperor in the history of his people, he, better than anyone, understands that power corrupts. When a vicious new enemy threatens the survival of the Empire, Quil must ask himself if he can rise above his tragic lineage and be the heir his people need.
8. The Wild Huntress by Emily Lloyd Jones – October 8
Emily Lloyd Jones takes us back into the world of the Bone Houses for another standalone story. This time, we’re partaking in a Wild Hunt and joining those who want to win the grand prize: a wish granted by the Otherking. The Wild Huntress by Emily Lloyd Jones hits shelves on October 8.
Book Description: Every five years, two kingdoms take part in a Wild Hunt. Joining is a bloody risk and even the most qualified hunters can suffer the deadliest fates. Still, hundreds gamble their lives to participate — all vying for the Hunt’s life-changing prize: a magical wish granted by the Otherking.
BRANWEN possesses a gift no other human has: the ability to see and slay monsters. She’s desperate to cure her mother’s sickness, and the Wild Hunt is her only option.
GWYDION is the least impressive of his magically-talented family, but with his ability to control plants and his sleight of hand, he’ll do whatever it takes to keep his cruel older brother from becoming a tyrant.
PRYDERI is prince-born and monster-raised. Deep down, the royal crown doesn’t interest him — all he wants is to know is where he belongs.
If they band together against the monstrous creatures within the woods, they have a chance to win. But, then again, nothing is guaranteed when all is fair in love and the Hunt.
9. Blood of the Old Kings by Sung-il Kim; translated by Anton Hur – October 8
Arienne, Loran, and Cain find themselves embarking on an epic journey as they fight for what they want, whether it’s a different future or revenge. Blood of the Old Kings by Sung-il Kim and translated by Anton Hur releases on October 8.
Book Description: There is no escaping the Empire. Even in death, you will serve.
In an Empire run on necromancy, dead sorcerers are the lifeblood. Their corpses are wrapped in chains and drained of magic to feed the unquenchable hunger for imperial conquest.
Born with magic, Arienne has become resigned to her dark fate. But when the voice of a long-dead sorcerer begins to speak inside her head, she listens. There may be another future for her, if she’s willing to fight for it.
Miles away, beneath a volcano, a seven-eyed dragon also wears the Empire’s chains. Before the imperial fist closed around their lands, it was the people’s sacred guardian.
Loran, a widowed swordswoman, is the first to kneel before the dragon in decades. She comes with a desperate plea, and will leave with a sword of dragon-fang in hand and a great purpose before her.
In the heart of the Imperial capital, Cain is known as a man who gets things done. When his best friend and mentor is found murdered, he will leave no stone unturned to find those responsible, even if it means starting a war.
10. The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door by H.G. Parry – October 22
Clover’s time at a magical academy comes back to haunt her after a faerie seal breaks, forcing her to seek out the people she once called friends in order to fix their mistakes and save the world. The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door by H.G. Parry hits shelves on October 22.
Book Description: All they needed to break the world was a door, and someone to open it.
Camford, 1920. Gilded and glittering, England’s secret magical academy is no place for Clover, a commoner with neither connections nor magical blood. She tells herself she has fought her way there only to find a cure for her brother Matthew, one of the few survivors of a faerie attack on the battlefields of WWI which left the doors to faerie country sealed, the study of its magic banned, and its victims cursed.
But when Clover catches the eye of golden boy Alden Lennox-Fontaine and his friends, doors that were previously closed to her are flung wide open, and she soon finds herself enmeshed in the seductive world of the country’s magical aristocrats. The summer she spends in Alden’s orbit leaves a fateful mark: months of joyous friendship and mutual study come crashing down when experiments go awry, and old secrets are unearthed.
Years later, when the faerie seals break, Clover knows it’s because of what they did. And she knows that she must seek the help of people she once called friends — and now doesn’t quite know what to call — if there’s any hope of saving the world as they know it.
11. Where the Library Hides by Isabel Ibañez – November 5
Inez might have to put her trust (and heart) in Whit to stay in Egypt and finish what she started. Where the Library Hides by Isabel Ibañez concludes the Secrets of the Nile duology and releases on November 5.
Book Description: 1885, Egypt
Inez Olivera is left reeling from her cousin Elvira’s murder, and her mother’s betrayal, and when Tío Ricardo issues an ultimatum about her inheritance, she’s left with only one option to consider.
Marriage to Whitford Hayes.
Former British soldier, her uncle’s aide de camp, and one time nemesis, Whit has his own mysterious reasons for staying in Egypt. With her heart on the line, Inez might have to bind her fate to the one person whose secret plans could ruin her.
12. The Lotus Empire by Tasha Suri – November 12
The conclusion of the Burning Kingdoms trilogy finds Empress Malini and priestess Priya on opposite sides, but after the arrival of a new enemy, these two women will once again fight alongside one another to protect their kingdoms. The Lotus Empire by Tasha Suri releases on November 12.
Book Description: Malini has claimed her rightful throne as the empress of Parijatdvipa, just as the nameless gods prophesied. Now, in order to gain the support of the priesthood who remain loyal to the fallen emperor, she must consider a terrible bargain: Claim her throne and burn in order to seal her legacy — or find another willing to take her place on the pyre.
Priya has survived the deathless waters and now their magic runs in her veins. But a mysterious yaksa with flowering eyes and a mouth of thorns lies beneath the waters. The yaksa promises protection for Ahiranya. But in exchange, she needs a sacrifice. And she’s chosen Priya as the one to offer it.
Two women once entwined by fate now stand against each other for the sake of their respective homes. But when a new enemy rises, they will once again find themselves fighting together to prevent their kingdoms, and their futures, from burning to ash.
The Lotus Empire brings Tasha Suri’s acclaimed Burning Kingdoms trilogy to a heart-stopping close. As an ancient magic returns to Ahiranya and threatens its very foundations, Empress Malini and priestess Priya will stop at nothing to save their kingdom-even if it means they must destroy each other.
13. The Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso – November 19
Kembral becomes involved in the Echo games after guests at a party start dying, and she’s forced to rely on her nemesis if she wants to make it out of this game alive. The Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso releases on November 19.
Book Description: Kembral Thorne has a few hours away from her newborn, and she’s determined to enjoy herself at the year-turning ball. But when guests start dropping dead, she can’t help sniffing out trouble — she’s a Hound, after all. Especially when her professional and personal nemesis, notorious burglar Rika Nonesuch, is also on the prowl.
Everyone knows you shouldn’t get involved with Echo games. Let alone one involving ancient Echo lords who can turn layers of reality into a gameboard with human lives for pieces. But as the ballroom grows stranger and more otherworldly with each strike of the hour, it’s clearly too late.
Kem knows the rules: One Echo down is no big deal. Stay alert for trouble.
Four Echoes down, there are things with eyes in their teeth, and walls that drip blood. Four is the limit.
As the party plunges through increasingly deadly realities, the rules can’t help Kem anymore. She’ll have to rely on her wits — and Rika — to unravel the most dangerous game of the century before it unleashes catastrophe on their world.
14. The Serpent Called Mercy by Roanne Lau – December 3
Lythlet and Desil attempt to escape poverty by signing up as conquessors and fighting against beasts. As the pair begin winning fights and Lythlet’s ambition grows, they’ll have to decide if they’re willing to sacrifice their friendship for wealth. The Serpent Called Mercy by Roanne Lau releases on December 3.
Book Description: Lythlet and her only friend Desil are shackled to a life of debt and poverty that she fears they will never escape. Desperate for money, they sign up as conquessors: arena combatants who fight sun-cursed beasts in the seedy underworld of the city.
Match-master Dothilos is initially enamored of Desil’s brawling reputation, but after seeing Lythlet lead the pair to triumph with her quick cunning, he takes her under his wing, scorning Desil. Ambition takes root in Lythlet’s heart as a life of fame and wealth unfolds in her imagination.
But Lythlet isn’t the only one out for coin and glory, and she soon finds herself playing an entirely different game — a game of politics and deception. As the cost of her ambition grows, she will have to decide if sacrificing her honor, and only friendship, is worth the chance to shape her own fortune.
A whirlwind of blood-pounding battles as characters grapple with their choices in the face of wealth and financial security, The Serpent Called Mercy‘s heart is the underlying, steadfast friendship between its protagonists.
15. Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson – December 6
The fate of Cosmere is at stake in the conclusion to the first arc of the Stormlight Archives series. Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson releases on December 6.
Book Description: Dalinar Kholin challenged the evil god Odium to a contest of champions with the future of Roshar on the line. The Knights Radiant have only ten days to prepare — and the sudden ascension of the crafty and ruthless Taravangian to take Odium’s place has thrown everything into disarray.
Desperate fighting continues simultaneously worldwide — Adolin in Azimir, Sigzil and Venli at the Shattered Plains, and Jasnah at Thaylen City. The former assassin, Szeth, must cleanse his homeland of Shinovar from the dark influence of the Unmade. He is accompanied by Kaladin, who faces a new battle helping Szeth fight his own demons… and who must do the same for the insane Herald of the Almighty, Ishar.
At the same time, Shallan, Renarin, and Rlain work to unravel the mystery behind the Unmade Ba-Ado-Mishram and her involvement in the enslavement of the singer race and in the ancient Knights Radiants killing their spren. And Dalinar and Navani seek an edge against Odium’s champion that can be found only in the Spiritual Realm, where memory and possibility combine in chaos. The fate of the entire Cosmere hangs in the balance.
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Which books are you looking forward to reading? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Allison Nichols
Allison is in a love affair with books and television that doesn't seem to be letting up anytime soon. Slightly damaged fictional characters are her weakness. She loves to spend her free time curled up with a cat and a book to read or a show to watch. Allison is a Tomatometer-approved critic (Rotten Tomatoes).
