Welcome to cozy season! With Halloween firmly in our collective rearview mirror, it’s time to look forward to the final few weeks of the year, which involve all sorts of delights involving food and family, and hopefully, the sort of weather that gives you plenty of excuses to spend copious amounts of time under a blanket with a hefty fantasy book. (Your mileage may vary if you live on the East Coast, where we trick-or-treated in 80-degree weather, but hope springs eternal, I guess.)
November is an interesting month in the publishing industry—many of the biggest titles of Fall hit shelves in September or October, in an attempt to get as many as possible out ahead of the all-important holiday shopping season. But while pickings may be a bit slimmer this month for fantasy lovers, plenty of intriguing new releases are headed our way, including the highly anticipated final installment of Tasha Suri’s Burning Kingdoms trilogy and Mary E. Pearson’s long-awaited adult debut. Romantasy lovers, in particular, are spoiled for choice this month, with several buzzy new series and follow-ups arriving ahead of Thanksgiving Day.
Here are our picks for the best fantasy titles hitting shelves in November.
The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong
Release Date: November 5 from Ace
Why You’ll Love It: A quirky, low-stakes character-driven fantasy follows a wandering fortune teller and the family she finds along the way, as they must navigate geopolitical unrest between the kingdoms of Shinara and Eshtera. Warm and charming throughout.
Publisher’s Description: Tao is an immigrant fortune teller, traveling between villages with just her trusty mule for company. She only tells “small” fortunes: whether it will hail next week; which boy the barmaid will kiss; when the cow will calve. She knows from bitter experience that big fortunes come with big consequences…
Even if it’s a lonely life, it’s better than the one she left behind. But a small fortune unexpectedly becomes something more when a (semi) reformed thief and an ex-mercenary recruit her into their desperate search for a lost child. Soon, they’re joined by a baker with a knead for adventure, and—of course—a slightly magical cat.
Tao sets down a new path with companions as big-hearted as her fortunes are small. But as she lowers her walls, the shadows of her past are closing in—and she’ll have to decide whether to risk everything to preserve the family she never thought she could have.
The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson
Release Date: November 12 from Flatiron Books
Why You’ll Love It: The adult romantasy debut from Mary E. Pearson, author of the popular Remnant Chronicles and Dance of Thieves series, The Courting of Briston Keats has dangerous fae, dark secrets, and lots more.
Publisher’s Description: After losing both their parents, Bristol Keats and her sisters struggle to stay afloat in their small, quiet town of Bowskeep. When Bristol begins to receive letters from an “aunt” she’s never heard of who promises she can help, she reluctantly agrees to meet—and discovers that everything she thought she knew about her family is a lie. Even her father might still be alive, not killed but kidnapped by terrifying creatures to a whole other realm—the one he is from.
Desperate to save her father and find the truth, Bristol journeys to a land of gods and fae and monsters. Pulled into a dangerous world of magic and intrigue, she makes a deadly bargain with the fae leader, Tyghan. But what she doesn’t know is that he’s the one who drove her parents to live a life on the run. And he is just as determined as she is to find her father—dead or alive.
The Lotus Empire by Tasha Suri
Release Date: November 12 from Orbit
Why You’ll Love It: The long-awaited final installment of Tasha Suri’s fabulous Burning Kingdoms trilogy, The Lotus Empire sees ancient magic return to Ahiranya and Malini and Priya fighting to save their kingdoms—against each other. Bittersweet and morally complicated, it’s a banger of a series finale.
Publisher’s 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. But when an ancient enemy rises to threaten their world, Priya and Malini will find themselves fighting together once more – to prevent their kingdoms, and their futures, from burning to ash.
The West Wind by Alexandria Warwick
Release Date: November 12 from S&S/Saga Press
Why You’ll Love It: This standalone sequel to The North Wind follows the story of Boreas’s brother Zephyrus and is inspired by the Scottish ballad Tam Lin. The story of a religious young woman with an adventurous spirit and her extremely slow-burn romance with the West Wind himself, the book explores questions of faith and redemption alongside love.
Publisher’s Description: Brielle of Thornbrook has dedicated her life to the abbey. She spends her days forging iron and studying the Text, all in preparation of becoming an acolyte—a shepherd of the Father. Twenty-one years on this earth and she has never touched a man. And she never will.
Yet dark things uncoil beyond Thornbrook’s high stone walls. A chance encounter with an alluring stranger leads Brielle to Under, where the air breathes rot and the roots grow black. Zephyrus, Bringer of Spring, with eyes of green.
In Under, those Brielle can trust are few, least of all Zephyrus. But never has a man so thoroughly ensnared her. When faith and heart collide, Brielle learns how quickly threads unravel, even her most sacred vow: thou shalt not forsake the Father. For He is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory. Forever and ever. Amen.
Servant of Earth by Sarah Hawley
Release Date: November 12 from Ace
Why You’ll Love It: The prospect of Sarah Hawley’s shift from contemporary paranormal romance to full-blown romantasy is thrilling and her new Shards of Magic series about a young human woman forced into servitude in a fae kingdom will feature plenty of monsters, magic, and forbidden love.
Publisher’s Description: Kenna Heron is best known in her village for being a little wild—some say half feral—but she’ll need every ounce of that ferocity to survive captivity in the cruel Fae court.
Trapped as a servant in the faeries’ underground kingdom of Mistei, Kenna must help her new mistress undertake six deadly trials, one for each branch of magic: Fire, Earth, Light, Void, Illusion, and Blood. If she succeeds, her mistress will gain immortality and become the heir to Earth House. If she doesn’t, the punishment is death—for both mistress and servant.
With no ally but a sentient dagger of mysterious origins, Kenna must face monsters, magic, and grueling physical tests. But worse dangers wait underground, and soon Kenna gets caught up in a secret rebellion against the inventively sadistic faerie king. When her feelings for the rebellion’s leader turn passionate, Kenna must decide if she’s willing to risk her life for a better world and a chance at happiness.
Surviving the trials and overthrowing a tyrant king will take cunning, courage, and an iron will… but even that may not be enough.
A Wild and Ruined Song by Ashley Shuttleworth
Release Date: November 12 from Margaret K. McElderry Books
Why You’ll Love It: In the highly anticipated final installment of Ashley Shuttleworth’s Hollow Star Saga, a sweeping urban fantasy series about fae in Toronto, the story picks up immediately from the cliffhanger at the end of A Grim and Sunken Vow and follows Arlo as she risks her very self to destroy the three magical crowns corrupting the mortal and immortal realms.
Publisher’s Description: Arlo Jarsdel has lost everything. Her family. Her freedom. Her name. And now that she’s sharing her body with Ruin, the formidable titan of devastation, she’s even beginning to lose herself.
In their most dangerous game of deception yet, Arlo has just one goal: destroy the three Bone Crowns corrupting the mortal and immortal realms before her time runs out and Ruin takes permanent control of her being.
With Celadon fighting on the political front against the ruthless High Queen Riadne—now armed with the cataclysmic power of her Crown, the Sins, and Ruin—Vehan and Aurelian are scrambling in secret to build an army to rival Riadne’s infernal forces. Meanwhile, Nausicaä will do whatever it takes to save her girlfriend from obliteration, despite knowing the odds of survival are nearly nonexistent.
When the line between hero and villain becomes blurred, and bonds are put to the ultimate test, it has never been more imperative—or more difficult—to stand united. For this is not the first lifetime that these five friends have faced the evil behind this impending war, but if they can’t find their way back to each other, it might just be their last.
The Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso
Release Date: November 19 from Orbit
Why You’ll Love It: Perhaps the most refreshingly original title on this month’s list, The Last Hour Between Worlds plays out like a fantastical take on a locked room murder mystery, with complex worldbuilding and charming characters.
Publisher’s Description: Kembral Thorne is spending a few hours away from her newborn, and she’s determined to enjoy the party no matter what. But when the guests start dropping dead, Kem has no choice but to get to work. She’s a member of the Guild of Hounds, after all, and she can’t help picking up the scent of trouble.
She’s not the only one. Her professional and personal nemesis, notorious burglar Rika Nonesuch, is on the prowl. They quickly identify what’s causing the mayhem: a mysterious grandfather clock that sends them down an Echo every time it chimes. In each strange new layer of reality, time resets and a sinister figure appears to perform a blood-soaked ritual.
As Kem and Rika fall into increasingly macabre versions of their city, they’ll need to rely on their wits – and each other – to unravel the secret of the clock and save their city.
The Serpent and the Wolf by Rebecca Robinson
Release Date: November 19 from S&S/Saga Press
Why You’ll Love It: This deliciously slow-burn political romantasy features a central relationship that’s full of banter and sexual tension and boasts the sort of cliffhanger that will have readers clamoring for a sequel.
Publisher’s Description: All her life, Vaasa Kozár has been sharpened into a blade.
After losing her mother—her only remaining parent—to a mysterious dark magic that has since awakened within her, Vaasa is certain death looms. So is her merciless brother, who aims to eliminate Vaasa as a threat to his crown. In one last political scheme, he marries her off to Reid of Mireh, a ruthless foreign ruler, in hopes that he can use her death as a rallying cry to finally invade Reid’s nation. All Vaasa has to do is die.
But she is desperate to live. Vaasa enters her new marriage with every intent to escape it, wielding the hard-won political prowess and combat abilities her late father instilled in her. But to her surprise, Reid offers her a deal: help him win the votes to rise in power, and she can walk free. In exchange, he will share his knowledge about the dark magic running through her veins—and help keep it at bay.
This proposal may be too good to refuse, yet Vaasa and Reid’s undeniable attraction threatens to break the rules of their arrangement. As her brother’s lethal machinations take form, everything is at stake: Vaasa must learn to trust her new husband, but how can she, especially when their perfect political marriage begins to feel like the real thing?
Red Sonja: Consumed by Gail Simone
Release Date: November 19 from Orbit
Why You’ll Love It: The debut novel from comics writer Gail Simone, Red Sonja: Consumed brings the famous Marvel heroine to life in a rich, immersive fantasy world. The prose take on the story adds the sort of depth and complexity that’s difficult to achieve on the comics page, and will delight both fans of the original and newcomers to the story.
Publisher’s Description: The warrior Red Sonja, the famous fiery She-Devil of Hyrkania, has never concerned herself with the consequences of her actions. She’s taken what she wanted, from treasure to drink to the companionship of bedfellows. She’s fought who deserved it (and sometimes those who didn’t). And she’s never looked back.
But when rumors start bubbling up from her homeland—rumors of unknown horrors emerging from the ground and pulling their unsuspecting victims to their deaths—and a strange voice begins whispering to her in her sleep, she realizes she may have to return to the country that abandoned her. And finally do the only thing that has ever scared her: confront her past.
The Half King by Melissa Landers
Release Date: November 19 from Entangled Publishing/Red Tower Books
Why You’ll Love It: The adult romantasy debut from YA author Melissa Landers, The Half King follows the story of a noble house whose king is afflicted with a terrible curse: He only exists during the day and vanishes at night, and will disappear permanently on his twenty-first birthday. But when a young seer in training arrives at court and vows to save him, an epic quest—and a sweet love story—ensue. Landers’s tale boasts the sort of worldbuilding that almost guarantees more stories in this world are coming, and this is certainly a promising start.
Publisher’s Description: The Great Betrayal changed everything for the Allied Realm. Long ago, the kingdom’s noble houses rose up against the goddess… and for their treachery, the firstborn of each noble family was cursed.
One with perilous beauty.
One with destructive knowledge.
One with insatiable bloodlust.
But the royal house Mortara received the worst affliction of all. For while the king exists during the day, he fades into nothingness at night…until his twenty-first birthday, when he will be lost to the shadows forever.
Now an acolyte has arrived at court. Like all the second-born children of the Allied Realm, she’s destined to serve the goddess and become a Seer…only Cerise Solon has no gift of foretelling. In fact, she has no magical gift at all.
Instead, she’s surrounded by courtiers and priests—smiling sycophants whose hearts are filled with secrets and lies. And at the center of it all sits His Majesty Kian Hannibal Mortara, with his haunting eyes, sharp tongue, and an unerring ability to send her pulse skittering at the worst possible moments.
Falling for him is unthinkable. Because the king is the last of his line, and as the specter of his twenty-first birthday—and the full force of his curse—approaches, the kingdom holds its breath.
But there’s only one way to save a dying king… and it lies with the one person who’s hiding the biggest secret of all. Cerise.
The Songbird & the Heart of Stone by Carissa Broadbent
Release Date: November 19 from Bramble
Why You’ll Love It: This latest installment in Carissa Broadbent’s Crowns of Nyaxia series kicks off her new Shadowborn Duet, which shifts the series’ focus to the House of Shadow and follows the romance of Mische and Asar. While fans of Rhain and Oraya, may miss the seris’ OG couple, Mische’s arc is complex and satisfying in its own right.
Publisher’s Description: Mische lost everything when she was forcibly Turned into a vampire—her home, her humanity, and most devastating of all, the love of the sun god to whom she had devoted her life. Now, sentenced to death for murdering the vampire prince who turned her, redemption feels impossible.
But when Mische is saved by Asar, the bastard prince of the House of Shadow with a past as brutal as his scars, she’s forced into a mission worse than execution: a journey to the underworld to resurrect the god of death himself.
Yet, Mische’s punishment may be the key to her salvation. In a secret meeting, her sun god commands her to help Asar in his mission, only to betray him… by killing the god of death.
Mische and Asar must travel the treacherous path to the underworld, facing trials, beasts, and the vengeful ghosts of their pasts. Yet, most dangerous of all is the alluring call of the darkness—and her forbidden attraction to Asar, a burgeoning bond that risks invoking the wrath of gods.
As her betrayal looms, the underworld closes in, and angry gods are growing restless. Mische will be forced to choose between the redemption of the sun or the damnation of the darkness.
Lacy Baugher Milas is the Books Editor at Paste Magazine, but loves nerding out about all sorts of pop culture. You can find her on Twitter @LacyMB