19 Must-Read Summer Fantasy Books

INSTANT #1 New York Times bestseller!

This USA TODAY and international bestseller features a reversible book cover that matches the original hardcover art design, and beautifully designed endpapers.

This highly anticipated sequel to The Will of the Many—one of 2023’s most lauded and bestselling fantasy novels—follows Vis as he grapples with a dangerous secret that could unravel history across alternate dimensions.

Book two of the Hierarchy quartet.
 

At the elite Catenan Academy, a young fugitive uncovers layered mysteries and world-changing secrets in this “brilliant and gut-churning masterpiece” (Library Journal, starred review) by the internationally bestselling author of The Licanius Trilogy, James Islington.
 

Master storyteller Stephen King goes into the deepest well of his imagination in this #1 New York Times bestselling and spellbinding novel about a young man who inherits the keys to a parallel world where good and evil are at war, and the stakes could not be higher—for that world or ours.
 

Featuring stenciled edges and original art for the front and back endpapers.

A London rocker is faced with a life-or-death choice when he realizes that a powerful society of magic wielders are the only ones keeping London safe in this deft contemporary fantasy cowritten by #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson with author and musician Peter Orullian.

Featuring stenciled edges and original art for the front and back endpapers.

The first novel in a dazzling fantasy trilogy inspired by Japanese folklore and Studio Ghibli films like Spirited Away, set within a mythical archipelago brimming with dragons and Sun Spirits, high-tech hackers and bubble tea.

An “enthralling” (Genevieve Cogman, author of The Invisible Library and Elusive) Italian-inspired gothic historical fantasy about a young woman who finds her power in the nocturnal realm that lurks beneath her town.
 

“The exhilarating must-read fantasy debut of the year.” —Tasha Suri, World Fantasy Award–winning author

An unforgettable tale of revenge and rebellion unfolds when a reckless king implements an ill-fated plan to end a thousand-year war in this relentlessly gripping epic fantasy debut.

Every iconic novella by the legendary Ursula K. Le Guin collected for the first time, in one volume.
 

Bunny meets The Craft in this speculative debut about four best friends who perform a ritual on the moon in a last-ditch attempt to hold onto one another but are forced to reckon with the consequences.
 

Aleese Lin’s delightful, spooky—or Spük-y?—contemporary romance debut is perfect for fans of Legends & Lattes and Netflix’s Wednesday.
 

Campground manager Kate returns in this supernatural, campy, and cozy horror tale filled with thrilling adventures, mysterious monsters, and spine-chilling encounters, perfect for fans of Welcome to Night Vale and Chuck Tingle.
 

* HUGO AWARD WINNER: BEST NOVELLA * NEBULA AND LOCUS AWARDS WINNER: BEST NOVELLA *

“[An] exquisitely crafted tale...Part epistolary romance, part mind-blowing science fiction adventure, this dazzling story unfolds bit by bit, revealing layers of meaning as it plays with cause and effect, wildly imaginative technologies, and increasingly intricate wordplay...This short novel warrants multiple readings to fully unlock its complexities.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

From award-winning authors Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone comes an enthralling, romantic novel spanning time and space about two time-traveling rivals who fall in love and must change the past to ensure their future.

Continuing the spellbinding saga of Practical Magic, master storyteller Alice Hoffman returns with the stunning sequel, brimming with lyric beauty and vivid characters.

SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING NICOLE KIDMAN AND SANDRA BULLOCK!

The battle continues in this silkpunk fantasy as science and destiny collide against the will of the gods in this final installment in the epic Dandelion Dynasty series from the “genius” (Elizabeth Bear, Hugo Award­–winning author of the Eternal Sky series) Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Award–winning author Ken Liu.
 

The magical island of Chynchin is facing conquerors from abroad and something sinister from within in this “immersive…engaging” (Kirkus Reviews) Caribbean-inspired dark fantasy from the Grand Master Award–winning author Nalo Hopkinson.
 

Chloe Gong returns with power plays, spilled blood, and lethal romance in the thrilling fantasy sequel to New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller Immortal Longings, inspired by Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra.
 

A 2025 Latino Book Award Winner, Gold Medal for Best Novel — Historical Fiction — English

“A vivid and unprecedented journey into the Spanish invasion of Aztec Mexico.” —Luis Alberto Urrea, acclaimed author of The House of Broken Angels

A “wild, unforgettable adventure” (Reyna Grande, author of A Dream Called Home) about the triumphs and sorrows of one of the most controversial and misunderstood women in Mexico’s history and mythology, perfect for fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Gods of Jade and Shadow and Zoraida Córdova’s The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina.

In this lyrical and “profound” (Dr. Resmaa Menakem, New York Times bestselling author) companion to the “spellbinding” (Harper’s Bazaar) Shallow Waters, Oya—the Yoruban deity of the weather—is brought to life during 1870s America.