While December may technically be the most wonderful time of the year, thanks to the sudden deluge of holiday parties, festive snacks, and the unspoken permission to drink boozy beverages at any time of day, it’s actually a pretty quiet month in the world of publishing. Lots of big fantasy releases hit during November in the lead-up to the holiday shopping season, which means that this month is…well, it’s honestly kind of quiet.
That’s not to say that there aren’t books arriving this December—and excellent—books at that. Just, the overall volume of releases (especially after the deluge of the last few months) is considerably smaller and, dare I say it, almost manageable for fantasy fans.
Take a look at our picks for the best fantasy books hitting shelves this month, and maybe grab a minute to miss one you missed from earlier this year.
The Bitter Crown by Justin Anderson
Release Date: December 5 from Orbit
Why You’ll Love It: The second installment in Justin Lee Anderson’s satisfyingly old-school Eidyn Saga, The Bitter Crown immediately takes all the revelations from the end of The Lost War and runs with them. Adding in a half dozen new twists along the way. Anderson deftly navigates his new world order, from foundational changes to the story’s larger mythology, from shifting character dynamics that stem from drastically altered relationships. Propulsive and fast-paced, you’ll be impressed at both Anderson’s nerve and his confident way of rising to his own challenge.
Publisher’s Description: A war once held in the shadows now escalates into full-scale revolution in the second novel of Justin Lee Anderson’s epic Eidyn Saga. The fog of war is lifted and the conspiracy at the heart of Eidyn is finally exposed. Now that they know the truth, Aranok and his allies must find a way to free a country that doesn’t know it’s held captive. But with divided loyalties and his closest friendship shaken, can their alliance hold against overwhelming odds? The quest to retake the country begins here.
All the Hidden Paths by Foz Meadows
Release Date: December 5 from Tor Books
Why You’ll Love It: Foz Meadows’ A Strange and Stubborn Endurance was a fantastic and unexpected find—a queer fantasy that deftly explored romance, identity, and sexuality all while telling a complicated story of political intrigue. Its sequel, Al the Hidden Paths, offers many of the same joys, with the added bonus of giving Velasin and Caethari the time and space to get to know one another properly, without the threat of a plot to break them up hanging over their heads.
Political wrangling still drives a significant portion of the plot, as the pair are summoned to Tithena’s capital, Qi-Xihan, where a series of attacks and bizarre accidents put their relationship to the test once more. The end result is a story that offers one of the genre’s most fascinating explorations of sexual politics within an intricately rendered high fantasy world, in which Vel and Cae are a compelling romantic pair.
Publisher’s Description: With the plot against them foiled and the city of Qi-Katai in safe hands, Velasin and Caethari have begun to test the waters of their relationship. But the wider political ramifications of their marriage are still playing out across two nations, and all too soon, they’re summoned north to Tithena’s capital city, Qi-Xihan, to present themselves to its monarch.
With Caethari newly invested as his grandmother’s heir and Velasin’s old ghosts gnawing at his heels, what little peace they’ve managed to find is swiftly put to the test. Cae’s recent losses have left him racked with grief and guilt, while Vel struggles with the disconnect between instincts that have kept him safe in secrecy and what an open life requires of him now.
Pursued by unknown assailants and with Qi-Xihan’s court factions jockeying for power, Vel and Cae must use all the skills at their disposal to not only survive, but thrive – because there’s more than one way to end an alliance, and more than one person who wants to see them fail.
A River of Golden Bones by A.K. Mulford
Release Date: December 5 from Harper Voyager
Why You’ll Love It: The first installment in A.K. Mulford’s—author of the Five Crowns of Okrith books—new Golden Court series, A River of Golden Bones is a complex political romantasy about werewolf royalty and fated mates, with a dash of Sleeping Beauty on top. Many of the narrative beats will automatically appeal to anyone who loves this genre, but what makes Mulford’s story stand out is its effortless queer representation and the thoughtful explorations of gender identity throughout its pages.
Publisher’s Description: Twins Calla and Briar have spent their entire lives hiding from the powerful sorceress who destroyed their kingdom…and from the humans who don’t know they are Wolves. Each twin has their own purpose in life: Briar’s is to marry the prince of an ally pack and save the Golden Court. Calla’s purpose is to remain a secret, her twin’s shadow . . . the backup plan.
No one knows who Calla truly is except for her childhood friend—and sister’s betrothed—the distractingly handsome Prince Grae. But when Calla and Briar journey out of hiding for Briar’s wedding, all of their well-made plans go awry. The evil sorceress is back with another sleeping curse for the last heir to the Golden Court.
Calla must step out of the shadows to save their sister, their kingdom, and their own legacy. Continuing to hide as a human and denying who she truly is, Calla embarks on a quest across the realm, discovering a whole world she never knew existed. Outside the confines of rigid Wolf society, Calla begins to wonder: who could she be if she dared to try?
Grievar’s Blood by Alexander Darwin
Release Date: December 5 from Orbit
Why You’ll Love It: The second installment in Alexander Darwin’s Combat Codes trilogy, Grievar’s Blood ups the science fantasy stakes with increasing political tension, new POVs, and more complicated fight scenes that deftly reflect where the individual protagonists are in their personal journeys.
Publisher’s Description: In a world where single combat determines the fate of nations, the Grievar fight in the Circles so that the rest can remain at peace. But given the stakes, things are never so simple. The Daimyo govern from the shadows and plot to gain an edge by unnaturally enhancing their Grievar Knights.
Cego and his team return to the world’s most prestigious combat school, The Lyceum. Though he’d like to focus on his martial studies, Cego feels the pull of his mysterious past and two missing brothers.
Solara Halberd, daughter of the fighting legend, embarks on her own quest to bury the past. She must utilize every lesson her father taught her to explore unknown lands where evil lurks in the shadows.
Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross
Release Date: December 26
Why You’ll Love It: Rebecca Ross’s Divine Rivals was one of the Best Fantasy Books of 2023 and, in some sort of holiday season miracle, its highly anticipated sequel will arrive in time to close out the year. Ruthless Vows is more of what everyone loved about the first book, mixing swoon-worthy romance with unflinching honesty about the harrowing toil of war, both physically and emotionally speaking. In this sequel, the stakes are higher, the scope is bigger, and there are more overt fantasy elements than in its predecessor. A banger of a duology ending, in almost every way.
Publisher’s Description: Two weeks have passed since Iris Winnow returned home bruised and heartbroken from the front, but the war is far from over. Roman is missing, and the city of Oath continues to dwell in a state of disbelief and ignorance. When Iris and Attie are given another chance to report on Dacre’s movements, they both take the opportunity and head westward once more despite the danger, knowing it’s only a matter of time before the conflict reaches a city that’s unprepared and fracturing beneath the chancellor’s reign.
Since waking below in Dacre’s realm, Roman cannot remember his past. But given the reassurance that his memories will return in time, Roman begins to write articles for Dacre, uncertain of his place in the greater scheme of the war. When a strange letter arrives by wardrobe door, Roman is first suspicious, then intrigued. As he strikes up a correspondence with his mysterious pen pal, Roman will soon have to make a decision: to stand with Dacre or betray the god who healed him. And as the days grow darker, inevitably drawing Roman and Iris closer together…the two of them will risk their very hearts and futures to change the tides of the war.
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