It’s never too early to start building your TBR pile, especially when 2025 promises an exciting array of new book releases! From epic fantasy to thrilling sci-fi and everything in between, some of my favourite authors are set to deliver stories that will keep us glued to the pages.
Whether you’re a long-time fan or looking to discover some new favourites, this list of upcoming books has something for everyone. Get ready to mark your calendars, because these are the books I’m most excited to read in 2025 – and trust me, you’re going to want to pre-order them all! 📖✨
😈 The Devils by Joe Abercrombie
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Holy work sometimes requires unholy deeds.
Brother Diaz has been summoned to the Sacred City, where he is certain a commendation and grand holy assignment awaits him. But his new flock is made up of unrepentant murderers, practitioners of ghastly magic, and outright monsters. The mission he is tasked with will require bloody measures from them all in order to achieve its righteous ends.
Elves lurk at our borders and hunger for our flesh, while greedy princes care for nothing but their own ambitions and comfort. With a hellish journey before him, it’s a good thing Brother Diaz has the devils on his side.
Joe Abercrombie is back with what promises to be another gritty, character-driven masterpiece. Known for his dark humour, complex characters, and brutal battles, Abercrombie’s The Devils is sure to deliver more of the visceral storytelling that fans have come to love. If you’re into morally grey heroes and anti-heroes who will make you question your own sense of right and wrong, then this is one to watch. Expect twists, treachery, and a healthy dose of Abercrombie’s trademark wit.
Release Date: 6th May 2025
Publisher: Gollancz
🌊 A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young
The only thing James and Johnny Golden have ever had is each other. For as long as she can remember, James’s deep connection with her twin brother, Johnny, has gone beyond intuition – she can feel what he feels. So, when Johnny is killed in a tragic accident, James knows before her phone even rings that her brother is gone and that she’s alone – truly alone – for the first time in her life.
When James arrives in the rural town of Hawthorne, California to settle her brother’s affairs, she’s forced to rehash the ominous past she and Johnny shared and finally face Micah, the only person who knows about it. He’s also the only man she’s ever loved.
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But James soon discovers that the strange connection she had with Johnny isn’t quite gone, and the more she immerses herself into his world, the more questions she has about the brother she thought she knew. Johnny was keeping secrets, and he’s not the only one.
What she uncovers will push her to unravel what happened in the days before Johnny’s death, but in the end, she’ll have to decide which truths should come to light, and which should stay buried forever.
Following the success of her previous books, Adrienne Young is set to whisk us away on a new adventure with A Sea of Unspoken Things. This novel promises a lush, atmospheric setting combined with Young’s signature lyrical prose. For those who love stories brimming with secrets, family dynamics, and just the right touch of magic, this book will definitely make waves in 2025.
Release Date: 7th January 2025
Publisher: Quercus
🐌 Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett
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Emily Wilde has spent her life studying faeries. A renowned dryadologist, she has documented hundreds of species of Folk in her Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Now she is about to embark on her most dangerous academic project studying the inner workings of a faerie realm-as its queen.
Along with her former academic rival-now fiancé-the dashing and mercurial Wendell Bambleby, Emily is immediately thrust into the deadly intrigues of Faerie as the two of them seize the throne of Wendell’s long-lost kingdom, which Emily finds a beautiful nightmare, filled with scholarly treasures.
Emily has been obsessed with faerie stories her entire life, but at first she feels as ill-suited to Faerie as she did to the mortal world-how could an unassuming scholar like herself pass for a queen? Yet there is little time to settle in-Wendell’s murderous stepmother has placed a deadly curse upon the land before vanishing without a trace. It will take all of Wendell’s magic-and Emily’s knowledge of stories-to unravel the mystery before they lose everything they hold dear.
Heather Fawcett enchanted readers with her charming Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, and now she’s back with Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales. This delightful follow-up promises more of the quirky adventures and magical discoveries that made the first two books such a hit. If you’re a fan of whimsical, cosy fantasy that makes you want to curl up with a cup of tea, this book will be the perfect addition to your collection.
Release Date: 11th February 2025
Publisher: Orbit
👀 The Maiden and Her Monster by Maddie Martinez
When a young woman is forced to venture into a cursed forest to capture the monster hunting the girls of her village, she discovers a disgraced golem ready to confess, but only if she agrees to help fulfill an ancient promise first — a bargain that unravels a much more dangerous threat to her people, and forces her to face growing feelings for the very creature she was taught to fear.
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Maddie Martinez’s debut novel is already generating a lot of buzz, and for good reason. The Maiden and Her Monster promises a beautifully crafted tale that blends dark fantasy with elements of romance and adventure. If you’re drawn to stories about forbidden love, fierce heroines, and creatures of myth, this is a must-read for 2025. Martinez’s lush, evocative writing is sure to transport you to a world as dangerous as it is alluring.
Release Date: 9th September 2025
Publisher: Tor
🌍 Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky
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They looked into the darkness and the darkness looked back . . .
New planets are fair game to asset strippers and interplanetary opportunists – and a commercial mission to a distant star system discovers a moon that is pitch black, but alive with radio activity. Its high-gravity, high-pressure, zero-oxygen environment is anathema to human life, but ripe for exploitation. They named it Shroud.
Under no circumstances should a human end up on Shroud’s inhospitable surface. Except a catastrophic accident sees Juna Ceelander and Mai Ste Etienne doing just that. Forced to stage an emergency landing, in a small, barely adequate vehicle, they are unable to contact their ship and are running out of time. What follows is a gruelling journey across land, sea and air. During this time, Juna and Mai begin to understand Shroud’s dominant species. It also begins to understand them . . .
If they escape Shroud, they’ll face a crew only interested in profiteering from this extraordinary world. They’ll somehow have to explain the impossible and translate the incredible. That is, if they make it back at all.
Adrian Tchaikovsky, the master of intricate world-building and mind-bending sci-fi, is set to release Shroud, a new novel that explores the boundaries between humanity and technology. Known for his ability to weave complex, thought-provoking narratives, Tchaikovsky’s latest work is sure to challenge our perceptions of reality and humanity. If you’re a fan of cerebral, high-concept science fiction, then Shroud should be at the top of your list.
Release Date: 27th February 2025
Publisher: Tor
🪙 Holy Terrors by Margaret Owen
It’s been nearly two years since Vanja brought down the cult she started, and she’s still paying the price. As the Pfennigeist, she bucks the law in order to help the desperate and haunt the corrupt all across the empire—and no matter what, she works alone.
But an impossible killer is tearing through royalty, and leaving Vanja’s signature red penny on every victim. Suddenly the Pfennigeist is no longer a folk hero but a nightmare. When even the Blessed Empress falls, the empire’s seven royal families must gather to elect her successor within a matter of weeks, or risk the collapse of reality itself… even though it puts every house in the killer’s sights.
Vanja tells herself she’s wading into the royalty’s vicious games only to save the name she made, and the loved ones also in jeopardy. But the Order of Prefects has also put their sharpest official on the case, the one who swore he’d always find Vanja—until she broke his heart. Journeyman Prefect Emeric Conrad may no longer be the boy Vanja knew, but they’ll have to work together one last time to have any chance of surviving the deadly catastrophe coming for them all.
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Margaret Owen is back with Holy Terrors, a darkly humorous fantasy that promises to deliver both laughs and chills. Known for her witty dialogue and richly developed worlds, Owen’s latest book in the Little Thieves series feature our favourite characters, Vanja and Emeric, having to work together again to bring this conspiracy to light.
Release Date: 1st April 2025
Publisher: Hodderscape
📚 The Book That Held Her Heart by Mark Lawrence
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Two people once connected by a vast and mysterious library are now separated and must overcome time and distance to reunite and bring peace to their worlds.
Mark Lawrence is a master of blending dark fantasy with poignant emotion, and his latest work, The Book That Held Her Heart, is shaping up to be an unforgettable tale as the finale in The Libary Trilogy. Lawrence’s writing is known for its depth and intensity, making this book a must-read for those who love their fantasy with a heavy dose of the bittersweet. Prepare to have your heartstrings pulled and your mind blown.
Release Date: 10th April 2025
Publisher: HarperVoyager
2025 is shaping up to be a fantastic year for book lovers, with an incredible lineup of releases that will keep us reading late into the night. From long-awaited sequels to captivating debuts, these books promise to transport us to new worlds and unforgettable adventures.
Whether you’re a fan of fantasy, sci-fi, or a bit of everything, there’s something on this list for everyone. So, make sure to pre-order your favourites, clear some space on your bookshelf, and get ready to be swept away by these amazing stories.
Happy Reading 📚✨
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