Buckle up, fantasy fans, November is here and it’s going to be a wild ride.
In the world of publishing, the first half of November is sort of an inflection point—-it’s the last few weeks to get big name titles on the shelves as people start planning their holiday shopping or firming up wishlists to send to friends and family. There’s a reason that both the most anticipated sequel of the year and the long-awaited return of a beloved author to a popular franchise are releasing on the same day, is what I’m saying.
And what a month it is! From the arrival of the eagerly awaited sequel to Fourth Wing and a buzzy BookTok major publisher debut to a return to the Inheritance universe and a dark Nutcracker retelling, there are titles for every kind of reader headed our way this month.
Here are our picks for the best fantasy titles hitting shelves this November.
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
Release Date: November 7 from Red Tower Books
Why You’ll Love It: Is there anyone who isn’t obsessed with Rebecca Yarros’s Fourth Wing at this point? Iron Flame may well be the most highly anticipated fantasy sequel of the year, which continues her massively popular tale of romance and political intrigue set at a war college for dragon riders.
Publisher’s Description: Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.
Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.
Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits—and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.
But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year.
Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College—and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.
Nightbane by Alex Aster
Release Date: November 7 from Amulet Books
Why You’ll Love It: The highly anticipated sequel to Alex Aster’s bestselling YA debut Lightlark sees Isla Crown forced to deal with the consequences of breaking the curse that held her kingdom of Wilding—and its five sister realms—-in its thrall. (And decide whether to embrace her future with Sunling king Oro or give in to the dark attraction she shares with Nightshade leader Grimshaw.
Publisher’s Description: Isla Crown has secured the love of two powerful rulers and broken the curses that plagued the six realms for centuries, but few know the true origins of her powers. Now, in the wake of a crushing betrayal, Isla finds herself hungry for distraction, preferring to frequent Lightlark’s seductive haunts instead of embracing her duties as the newly crowned leader of two separate realms. Worse, her fellow rulers haven’t ceded victory quietly, and there are others in Isla’s midst who don’t believe her ascent to power was earned. As certain death races toward Lightlark and secrets from the past begin to unravel, Isla must weigh her responsibility to her people against the whims of the most dangerous traitor of all: her heart.
Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree
Release Date: November 7 from Tor Books
Why You’ll Love It: A prequel that gives us a chance to return to the warm and cozy realm of one of last year’s most unexpectedly great fantasy worlds, Bookshops and Bonedust is the heartwarming origin story you didn’t know you needed.
Publisher’s Description: Viv’s career with the notorious mercenary company Rackam’s Ravens isn’t going as planned.
Wounded during the hunt for a powerful necromancer, she’s packed off against her will to recuperate in the sleepy beach town of Murk—so far from the action that she worries she’ll never be able to return to it.
What’s a thwarted soldier of fortune to do?
Spending her hours at a beleaguered bookshop in the company of its foul-mouthed proprietor is the last thing Viv would have predicted, but it may be both exactly what she needs and the seed of changes she couldn’t possibly imagine.
Still, adventure isn’t all that far away. A suspicious traveler in gray, a gnome with a chip on her shoulder, a summer fling, and an improbable number of skeletons prove Murk to be more eventful than Viv could have ever expected.
Murtagh by Christopher Paolini
Release Date: November 7 from Knopf Books for Young Readers
Why You’ll Love It: Christopher Paolini finally returns to the world of Eragon with a full length novel based on fan favorite character Murtagh. Set a year after the events of the Inheritance Cycle, this sequel will see Murtagh figure out what he truly stands for as he and his dragon face a dangerous new enemy.
Publisher’s Description: The world is no longer safe for the Dragon Rider Murtagh and his dragon, Thorn. An evil king has been toppled, and they are left to face the consequences of the reluctant role they played in his reign of terror. Now they are hated and alone, exiled to the outskirts of society.
Throughout the land, hushed voices whisper of brittle ground and a faint scent of brimstone in the air—and Murtagh senses that something wicked lurks in the shadows of Alagaësia. So begins an epic journey into lands both familiar and untraveled, where Murtagh and Thorn must use every weapon in their arsenal, from brains to brawn, to find and outwit a mysterious witch. A witch who is much more than she seems.
The Darkness Before Them by Matthew Ward
Release Date: November 7 from Orbit
Why You’ll Love It: The first installment in Matthew Ward’s new Soulfire Trilogy, The Darkness Before Them is an immersive story of justice, soul magic, and more.
Publisher’s Description: These are dark times for the Kingdom of Khalad. As the magical mists of the Veil devour the land, the populace struggles beneath the rule of ruthless noble houses and their uncaring immortal king.
Kat doesn’t care about any of that. A talented thief, she’s pursuing one big score that will settle the debt that destroyed her family. No easy feat in a realm where indentured spirits hold vigil over every vault and treasure room. However, Kat has a unique she can speak to those spirits, and even command them. And she has no qualms using her power to her advantage.
Kat’s not a hero. She just wants to be free. To have her old life back. But as rebellion rekindles and the war for Khalad’s future begins, everyone—Kat included—will have to pick a side.
Tonight I Burn by Katherine J. Adams
Release Date: November 7 from Orbit
Why You’ll Love It: This addictive story of a thorn witch with the power to walk between the worlds of life and death features a captive prophet, a magical rebellion, a forbidden romance, and a unique coven-based magical system. Lyrical writing, strong character relationships, and multiple twists help this one stand out.
Publisher’s Description: Thorns, Tides, Embers, Storms, and Ores. All five covens are bound in servitude to the tyrant High Warden of Halstett.
Penny Albright is a daughter of the thorn coven, forced to patrol the veil between the realms of Life and Death. Each night, one thorn witch—and only one—must cross the veil by burning at the stake. Each morning, that witch draws on their magic to return. Failure to follow the rules risks the veil and risks them all.
But one morning, Penny’s favorite sister Ella doesn’t return. And that night, determined to find her, Penny breaks the rules. She burns in secret. And she discovers that all isn’t as it seems in Life or Death.
Her journey leads her to Malin, a devastating lord with too many secrets; to Alice, a mysterious captive prophet; and to a rebellion brewing in the shadows beneath the city. And as Penny’s world splits, she’ll face a devastating choice. Because it’s not just her sister’s life that hangs in the balance. It’s the fate of all magic.
The Hunting Moon by Susan Dennard
Release Date: November 7 from Tor Teen
Why You’ll Love It: The highly anticipated sequel to The Luminaries, The Hunting Moon continues the story of Hemlock Falls, which—and I mean this in the best way possible—all feels like a welcome return to early 2010s paranormal YA fantasy.
Publisher’s Description: Winnie Wednesday has gotten everything she thought she wanted. She passed the deadly hunter trials, her family has been welcomed back into the Luminaries, and overnight, she has become a local celebrity.
The Girl Who Jumped. The Girl Who Got Bitten.
Unfortunately, it all feels wrong. For one, nobody will believe her about the new nightmare called the Whisperer that’s killing hunters each night. Everyone blames the werewolf, even though Winnie is certain the wolf is innocent.
On top of that, following her dad’s convoluted clues about the Dianas, their magic, and what happened in Hemlock Falls four years ago is leaving her with more questions than answers.
Then to complicate it all, there is still only one person who can help her: Jay Friday, the boy with plenty of problems all his own.
As bodies and secrets pile up around town, Winnie finds herself questioning what it means to be a true Wednesday and a true Luminary—and also where her fierce-hearted loyalties might ultimately have to lie.
Powerless by Lauren Roberts
Release Date: November 7 from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Why You’ll Love It: This buzzy BookTok favorite, is getting a major publisher rerelease, which means a whole new audience is about to become obsessed with the story of Kai and Pae. Full of virtually every popular trope in the fantasy romance genre, Roberts is great at giving her audience exactly what they want.
Publisher’s Description: Only the extraordinary belong in the kingdom of Ilya—the exceptional, the empowered, the Elites.
The powers these Elites ave possessed for decades were graciously gifted to them by the Plague, though not all were fortunate enough to both survive the sickness and reap the reward. Those born Ordinary are just that—ordinary. And when the king decreed that all Ordinaries be banished in order to preserve his Elite society, lacking an ability suddenly became a crime—making Paedyn Gray a felon by fate and a thief by necessity.
Surviving in the slums as an Ordinary is no simple task, and Paedyn knows this better than most. Having been trained by her father to be overly observant since she was a child, Paedyn poses as a Psychic in the crowded city, blending in with the Elites as best she can in order to stay alive and out of trouble. Easier said than done.
When Paeydn unsuspectingly saves one of Ilyas princes, she finds herself thrown into the Purging Trials. The brutal competition exists to showcase the Elites’ powers—the very thing Paedyn lacks. If the Trials and the opponents within them don’t kill her, the prince she’s fighting feelings for certainly will if he discovers what she is—completely Ordinary.
Dark Heir by C.S. Pacat
Release Date: November 14 from Quill Tree Books
Why You’ll Love It: The highly anticipated sequel to C.S. Pacat’s excellent Dark Rise, Dark Heir promises more narrative twists as orphan Will Kempton struggles to keep the secret of his own true identity—-and the dark future it could mean for the world.
Publisher’s Description: A new threat from the past is rising, and only a handful of heroes remain to fight. Pursued by dark forces, Will and his allies must leave the safety of the Hall and travel to the heart of the ancient world, making new and dangerous alliances, and revealing the shocking secrets of the past.
But Will is carrying a dark secret of his own—his true identity. Drawn to the beautiful and deadly James St. Clair, Will is pulled ever deeper into the web of the past, and finds himself tempted by the darkness within. As the ancient world threatens to return, can Will and his friends fight their fate? Or will the truths they learn tear their world apart?
The Star and the Strange Moon by Constance Sayers
Release Date: November 14 from Redhook
Why You’ll Love It: A horror-tinged tale of a missing actress and a haunted film, The Star and the Strange Moon has one of the most original premises of any release this Fall.
Publisher’s Description: 1968: Actress Gemma Turner once dreamed of stardom. Unfortunately, she’s on the cusp of slipping into obscurity. When she’s offered the lead in a radical new horror film, Gemma believes her luck has finally changed. But L’Etrange Lune’s set is not what she expected. The director is eccentric, and the script doesn’t make sense.
Gemma is determined to make this work. It’s her last chance to achieve her dream—but that dream is about to derail her life. One night, between the shadows of an alleyway, Gemma disappears on set and is never seen again. Yet, Gemma is still alive. She’s been transported into the film and the script—and the monsters within it—are coming to life. She must play her role perfectly if she hopes to survive.
2015: Gemma Turner’s disappearance is one of film history’s greatest mysteries—one that’s haunted film student Christopher Kent ever since he saw his first screening of L’Etrange Lune. The screenings only happen once a decade and each time there is new, impossible footage of Gemma long after she vanished. Desperate to discover the truth, Christopher risks losing himself. He’ll have to outrun the cursed legacy of the film—or become trapped by it forever.
The Kingdom of Sweets by Erika Johansen
Release Date: November 28 from Dutton
Why You’ll Love It: The Queen of the Tearling series was so impactful for me as a fantasy fan that I’ll gladly read anything Erika Johansen chooses to write afterward. That The Kingdom of Sweets is a dark Nutcracker retelling is just the icing on the cake.
Publisher’s Description: Light and dark—this is the destiny placed upon Natasha and Clara, the birthright bestowed by their godfather, the mysterious sorcerer Drosselmeyer. Clara, the favorite, grows into beauty and ease, while Natasha is cursed to live in her sister’s shadow. But one fateful Christmas Eve, Natasha gets her chance at revenge. For Drosselmeyer has brought the Nutcracker, an enchanted present that offers entry into a deceptively beautiful world: the Kingdom of Sweets.
In this land of snow and sugar, Natasha is presented with a power far greater than Drosselmeyer: the Sugar Plum Fairy, who is also full of gifts . . . and dreadful bargains. As Natasha uncovers the dark destiny laid before her birth, she must reckon with powers both earthly and magical, and decide to which world she truly belongs.
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