Happy autumn! It’s officially the start of my favorite season and coincidentally the time of year with the best books being published. With so many books coming out over the next few months I’ve been wanting to share my curated list of fall book recommendations. I’ve been buzzing for months about some of these so here is my somewhat complete list of the books that should be at the top of your tbr for the fall season. It can be overwhelming to wade through the sheer amount of books making their debut, to the ones already published so I’m keeping it simple with just nine titles. Whether you’re craving a gothic romantasy, historical fiction, vampires, young adult, witchy romance, or an expansive fantasy epic I have you covered. Look no further for your next fall read!
Heir by Sabaa Tahir
Return to the world of An Ember in the Ashes, following a new generation of characters across the empire as they encounter a grave threat that could endanger their world. Heir is a bittersweet reunion with characters from books past and an introduction to those who are carrying the torch for the future. Come for the cameos of our old trio, and stay for this masterful expose into corruption and vengeance. Sabaa Tahir’s talent for storytelling across three intersecting points of view and unique timelines is undeniable – as is her penchant for putting the characters we love through the most horrific things imaginable. Expect the Sabaa Tahir standard of having the rug swept out from under you in the most ingenious way. Once I figured out what she was doing I had to close my book and stare at the wall for several minutes it was that good. Heir is not only an incredible book, it’s a timely one. The connection to justice being rendered immobile in the face of violence against innocents, particularly children was very clear. That the path to justice accomplished through further suffering is not justice at all. Centering one figure’s descent and others fighting despite, Sabaa Tahir gives voice to resistance and the power of those walking that path, and the task for those of us bearing witness.
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The Republic of Salt by Ariel Kaplan
The sequel to Ariel Kaplan’s, The Pomegranate Gate is out this October. Kicking off a slower pace than its predecessor, but aided by the momentum from its chaotic conclusion, The Republic of Salt brings further context to the mirrored mortal and mazik realms, on the brink of war with La Caceria. The Gate city of Zayit is predicted to burn unless the Cacador’s conquest can be brought to a halt, and Zayit’s salt trade could be the key. Deviating from book one, The Republic of Salt features a variety of perspectives across the realms like scattered pieces within the mirror fracturing and mending against an inevitable destruction. My favorite of these continued character arcs is certainly Toba’s. A buchuk of the original Toba now dead, Toba Bet struggles with her identity in the face of her creator’s beheading and her being the one that remains with those memories and experiences. Despite this, Toba is steadfast in her way forward and finds an unlikely path in allying with her sister, Tsifra, the very person who killed her prime self. Connecting two realms and building up to an irrevocable confrontation, Kaplan’s sequel is as immersive as its first installment, providing further context to a wonderous fantasy series.
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Januaries by Olivie Blake
With fall officially here I am retreating into fantasy worlds and there’s no better break from reality than with Olivie Blake’s upcoming collection of short stories, Januaries. Split into four seasons these fairy-touched tales strike at the monstrous, twisted, fetid, and endearing love and the magic and power-hungry beasts inside us all. The guardian of a magical bridge that grants wishes desires more than her stationary existence, vampirism allows a young woman agency and a way out of her situation, two spouses play a centuries-spanning game of murder, and more. Aided by Blake’s punchy flair and signature prose, Januaries has stories for every kind of fantasy reader. Journey through the year with stories that hit right at the heart of the seasons. While I loved all of these stories my favorites were probably Wish Bridge, The Audit, and The Animation Games. However, this entire collection is top-tier. There are certainly a lot of fantasy story collections coming out this fall, but Januaries deserves to be at the top of your list.
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The Ending Fire by Saara El-Arifi
Saara El-Arifi is one of the best writers in fantasy right now and her Ending Fire trilogy has been one of my favorites to follow over the last few years. The Ending Fire, its conclusion, is just as gripping as its former two books and has only further solidified her as an epic fantasy writer pushing boundaries within the genre. Simmering with magic, blood, and sacrifice, the battle over the future of the Warden’s Empire has begun. Sylah, Jond, Hassa, and Anoor have all been set apart on different paths, but in this final fight, El-Arifi draws them back together to face their pasts and the hurts that have further sundered them. After three books we get some truly gratifying concluding arcs – Hassa standing in her place and having a leading position, Jond choosing the future he never thought he could have, and Sylah and Anoor finding their way back to one another. This trilogy is flawless, from its character journeys to the dissolution of a flawed empire. The commentary on history as a tool for control and the powerless becoming powerful was incredibly well done across this series. While I am sad to be putting this series to rest I will continue shouting about it because it is THAT GOOD.
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Now Comes the Mist by Julie C. Dao
Julie C Dao’s adult debut is a blood-soaked gothic delight that gives the character of Lucy Wenestra the depth and journey into depravity she so justly deserves. Vietnamese and queer, Lucy has always felt isolated in English society, playing a part she abhors and desperate to free herself from the inevitable confines of marriage and motherhood. But it is her fascination with death that leaves her sleepwalking through her family’s mausoleum and caught in a mist that seems to be beckoning her somewhere…or to someone. Unfortunately, her dreams are more than fiction and they have a price. Now Comes the Mist explores the darkness at the heart of immortality and the true cost of freedom for women at this time. Lucy’s desperation is palpable and it’s easy to understand her desire for agency in a world that seeks to confine her. Through vampirism, Julie Dao explores the flawed nature of this freedom, tying in purity culture and an individual who seeks to further limit her. Now Comes the Mist is the best Dracula retelling I have read in years and if you are deciding between the myriad vampire books published this fall, let it be this one.
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One Burning Heart by Elizabeth Kingston
Now this book has no bearing on the fall season, I just happened to read it in September and needed an excuse to talk about it. Elizabeth Kingston is at the heart of my September reading, from her medieval to regency historical romances something about her writing was scratching that itch for me. One Burning Heart is a continuation of her Welsh Blades series and follows William, the ambitious Lord of Ruardean, and his pious wife Margaret, whom he has not been able to stand since they were wed. But what he doesn’t know is that is by her design, as Margaret hides her true self so that she can undermine his plans to aid the king and the Church in funding a new Crusade. One Burning Heart is quite a hilarious novel, featuring a tempting blend of romance and history – specifically the deviations from the Church’s teachings and their consequences. Religious piety as a facade for many to prop up their agendas is central to the plot and the conflict between William and Margaret, who work to build trust while confronting the true nature of the church they serve. I really love how much of this was about moves and countermoves, up until the resolution. This has one of the most astonishing first lines I have read this year. Read it and tell me you don’t want to buckle in for this wild ride.
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Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma
Descended from an ancient family known only to the secret society she fled from in childhood, Kidan Adane has spent her life avoiding her fate. In the aftermath of her younger sister’s disappearance, all clues lead back to Uxlay University and Susenyos Sagad, the vampire bound to her family’s bloodline. To unravel the truth, Kidan will enter the grounds of Uxlay and take on the mantle of the Adane heir, because someone took her sister for a purpose, and the plot for control runs deep into the heart of this ancient society. Immortal Dark is a stunning debut that laces vampires with dark academia and just a tinge of romance. With such a unique twist on the vampire mythos, this was already at the height of my list of vampire books to read this season and it did not disappoint. Prepare to delve deep into the history of this secret society, vampires, and family bloodlines as Kidan seeks to discover the truth and contends with the vampire companion determined to best her. There’s more of a focus on the academic aspect, but I fell in with the competing families, emerging friend group, and lore. The enemies-to-lovers romance was also a nice addition and really rounded out the story. Count me in for the sequel and anything else Girma writes!
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Phantasma by Kaylie Smith
A bloody, gothic feast of a debut, Phantasma will trap you inside its twisted walls and a manor full of secrets where bargains are struck and broken, and one necromancer will contend with its deadly competition to save her sister and receive the elusive wish granted to the surviving player. I have long been an admirer of Kaylie Smith ever since her young adult series debuted and Phantasma is quite possibly my new favorite gothic romance and book from her all in one. Combining a foreboding gothic atmosphere, a competition influenced by the nine circles of hell, and a cursed bargain with a mysterious stranger, Smith casts her shining romantasy with formidable claws. Ophelia Grimm confronts the seen and the unseen, what’s real and what isn’t, and Smith enmeshes this with some stellar OCD representation. Phantasma is the very definition of having your cake and eating it too, it’s smart, sexy, horrifying, rageful, and somehow all of those can coexist without being contradictory. I’m completely under Kaylie Smith’s thrall and not at all upset about it.
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Best Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi
Author Nadia El-Fassi brews up a delightful blend of magic, wedding shenanigans, pesky hexes, and sizzling romance in one bewitching debut. In a magical cafe in London, a kitchen witch fends off a love hex by guarding her heart from potential love interests and focusing on perfecting magical bakes for her clientele. Too bad her handsome new customer is the best man at her friend’s wedding and avoiding him is impossible as they’ll be stuck together for the entire weekend. Best Hex Ever promises a twist on that classic witch story imbued with coziness and served piping hot with a side of chai. Dina and Scott have the kind of instantaneous connection that had me hooked on their every interaction. Best Hex Ever is a wonderfully magical romance with sparks that ignite into an inferno (seriously this book is so hot). Nadia El-Fassi proves that romance and magic are often intertwined and some connections are their own kind of magic. I’m certain many readers will find themselves in this miraculous romance novel about charting your path and opening yourself up to love again. Nadia El-Fassi brings together a one-of-a-kind witchy debut that I plan to read over and over again.
Literaryrobin 