Get ready, bookworms! January 2026 is kicking off the new year with an absolute treasure trove of highly anticipated Fantasy and Romantasy titles. Whether you’re craving epic world-building, sizzling romance, or a perfect blend of both, this month has something for everyone. We’ve compiled a comprehensive guide to the must-read books hitting shelves, complete with synopses, cover art, and the crucial details on just how “spicy” these upcoming reads are (ranging from none to 3.5 out of 5). Read on!
- Author: Melissa de la Cruz
- Series Status: Book #1 in a new series.
- Synopsis: Barmaid Aren Bellamore is forced into a fake engagement with the cursed Prince Dietan, who needs a temporary bride to hide his secret and aid his quest to break a deadly curse. As they travel, their ruse becomes complicated by political enemies, monstrous threats, and a growing attraction.
- 🌶️ Spice Level: Medium Spice (2/5)
- For Fans Of: The Princess Bride meets The Wheel of Time, or readers who enjoyed the high-stakes political intrigue and cursed romance of Serpent & Dove.
- Author: Annie Summerlee
- Series Status: Book #1 in a new series (listed as Blood & Roses Volume 1).
- Synopsis: Vampire hunter Rebecca goes undercover at a Scottish university to find a lost compendium of secrets. Her plan is complicated when her beautiful and powerful vampire roommate, Aliz Astra, unexpectedly makes Rebecca her Familiar, forcing them into an uneasy, tension-filled partnership.
- 🌶️ Spice Level: Medium-to-High Spice (2.5/5+)
- For Fans Of: Dark academia settings like Ninth House, complicated forbidden romance, and the vampire/hunter dynamic of Vampire Academy.
- Author: George Saunders
- Series Status: Standalone novel.
- Synopsis: Spirit guide Jill “Doll” Blaine arrives at the deathbed of unrepentant oil CEO K. J. Boone to guide his soul. As his final night unfolds, his mansion becomes a nexus for otherworldly visitors, ghosts of his past, and strange phenomena, forcing him to confront a lifetime of corporate greed.
- 🌶️ Spice Level: None
- For Fans Of: George Saunders’ previous work like Lincoln in the Bardo, or imaginative speculative fiction with a satirical edge like Max Barry or Blake Crouch.
- Author: Samantha Sotto Yambao
- Series Status: Standalone novel.
- Synopsis: The magical Elsewhere Express appears only to lost souls seeking purpose. Raya, adrift after a personal tragedy, is swept onto the train, where she meets a charming artist named Q. They soon discover a dark, malignant magic brought aboard by a mysterious stowaway that threatens to destroy the train and their hope for a new beginning.
- 🌶️ Spice Level: None
- For Fans Of: Cozy fantasy and whimsical journeys like Spirited Away, The Starless Sea, or Dallergut Dream Department Store.
- Author: Brigid Kemmerer
- Synopsis: The finale of the series sees Callyn working with the man who betrayed her to protect Queen Lia Mara. Meanwhile, Tycho and Jax investigate the rebel faction called the Truthbringers, who have allied with magical creatures to destroy human magic, forcing the heroes from both kingdoms to unite against threats from all sides.
- 🌶️ Spice Level: Low Spice (1/5) - This is a YA series, focusing more on tension than explicit scenes.
- For Fans Of: Brigid Kemmerer’s previous work (A Curse So Dark and Lonely), or the romantic fantasy worldbuilding of Marissa Meyer.
- Author: S.F. Williamson
- Synopsis: After translating the secret language of dragons and sparking a civil war in a 1920s-inspired world, Vivien Featherswallow is now the reluctant and most-wanted face of the human-dragon rebellion. She must travel to the remote Scottish Isles to find a mysterious, long-forgotten species of dragon that may hold the key to ending the conflict.
- 🌶️ Spice Level: Low/None - Focuses on political fantasy and worldbuilding.
- For Fans Of: Dark academia mixed with dragons, often compared to Babel, Fourth Wing (for the dragons), and the political intrigue of The Scholomance trilogy.
- Author: Isabel Ibañez
- Series Status: Standalone novel (Adult debut).
- Synopsis: In Renaissance Florence, sculptress Ravenna Maffei must enter a treacherous competition hosted by a feared immortal family to save her brother. Captured by the merciless heir, Saturnino dei Luni, she navigates a conflict between a pope’s obsession and her attraction to the immortal who holds her fate.
- 🌶️ Spice Level: Medium Spice (2/5+) - Adult Romantasy with “sizzling” chemistry.
- For Fans Of: Historical fantasy with intense romance, such as One Dark Window or the lush, dangerous settings of Elizabeth Lim’s work.
- Author: Liza Anderson
- Series Status: Book #1 in a new series (Debut).
- Synopsis: To prevent Elias, leader of the Sunless cult, from unleashing chaos with a powerful artifact, warrior Ariadne is forced to capture him. Trapped together, their antagonistic relationship spirals into a desperate, consuming passion that challenges everything Ariadne believes.
- 🌶️ Spice Level: High Spice (3.5/5)
- For Fans Of: Forbidden dark romance, high tension, and the enemy-to-lover dynamic found in authors like Laura Thalassa.
- Author: Elizabeth May
- Synopsis: Princess Bryony Devaliant is repeatedly sacrificed and resurrected to maintain peace. When a rebellion begins, the god-king sends Evander, an immortal assassin known as the Wolf, to restore order. His mission is complicated by his forbidden desire for the sacrificial princess.
- 🌶️ Spice Level: High Spice (3/5 or higher) - Called “Undeniably spicy” erotic fantasy romance.
- For Fans Of: Dark and forbidden god/mortal romance, especially fans of Gild, Quicksilver, and the high heat and fantasy scope of Rebecca Yarros’s work.
- Author: Shen Tao
- Series Status: Book #1 in a new series (Debut Novel).
- Synopsis: In a world where poetry magic is powerful but forbidden to women, rice farmer Wei Yin offers herself as a concubine to the cruel, powerful heir, Prince Terren, to save her starving family. Trapped in a court rife with civil war and political brutality, Wei must learn the forbidden art of “literomancy” to survive, and ultimately finds herself facing the challenge of composing a dangerous heart-spirit poem that requires her to love the man she intends to destroy.
- 🌶️ Spice Level: Contradictory/Low-to-Medium Spice (1.5/5) - Marketed as romantasy, but early reviews suggest the focus is heavily on political intrigue, survival, and character corruption rather than explicit romance.
- For Fans Of: The Poppy War, She Who Became the Sun, or readers who enjoy complex, brutal court politics and forbidden magic.
- Author: Moniquill Blackgoose
- Series Status: Book #2 in the Nampeshiweisit series (Sequel).
- Synopsis: After a successful first year at Kuiper’s Academy, Anequs and her dragon, Kasaqua, return home to the island of Masquapaug for the summer. However, Anglish presence is encroaching upon their homeland. Anequs finds herself fighting for her people’s right to self-govern and live by their own customs, a fight that may escalate into a civil war.
- 🌶️ Spice Level: Low/None (0.5/5) - The focus is on political, cultural, and coming-of-age themes.
- For Fans Of: Deeply thoughtful and detailed world-building, Indigenous-centered stories, and alternate history with dragons, similar to Tomi Adeyemi or Naomi Novik.
- Author: Jessie Mihalik
- Series Status: Book #1 in the Silver & Blood series.
- Synopsis: Untrained mage Riela enters the forbidden forest and is saved by Garrick, a scarred, handsome man with moonlit magic. She awakens in his cursed castle, learning he is an ancient Etheri whose powers are weakening. As their fiery attraction grows, Riela’s own emerging magic begins to unravel the lies that connect their fates.
- 🌶️ Spice Level: Medium Spice (2/5) - Sci-Fi/Fantasy Romance with explicit scenes.
- For Fans Of: Dark and sexy romantasy featuring a powerful anti-hero and enchanted castles, perfect for readers of Jennifer L. Armentrout, Holly Black, and Danielle L. Jensen.
Our #BookTok Prediction: Which Book Is Sure To Be Trending?
If you want to start the year with the biggest, buzziest reads, we suggest prioritizing your list based on high-impact fantasy tropes and guaranteed heat. Dive headfirst into the new series debuts that are set to dominate conversations: start with The Wolf and the Crown of Blood for high-stakes, spicy dark romantasy, and follow up with Rings of Fate or The Poet Empress to satisfy your craving for a trope-filled, epic fake engagement romance or complex political fantasy. If you’re already following a series, don’t neglect the epic fantasy conclusion of Sparking Fire Out of Fate!Happy reading!