Spring is in the air, and what better time to curl up with a good book and enjoy the fact that winter is long gone? Yes, there are a ton of new sci-fi and fantasy shows airing this month, but let's be real, you don't want to spend all your time watching television — not when you could be reading stories which will blow your mind even more.
As we do most every month, we've rounded up a bunch of new titles in the fantasy and sci-fi space that you'll want on your radar as you head to your nearest bookshop or bookish website to refresh your TBR. Want a science fiction novel that sees humanity contend with an all-powerful bug-like alien empire? Check. A Little Mermaid retelling steeped with complex family dynamics and a bone-deep drive for revenge that will leave you reeling? Check. Swoon-worthy romantasies with witches, faeries, and magic? Check. A fantasy saga that has battles, demons, and an epic clash between light and darkness? Oh, you know it. April has all that and much, much more.
So pull up your Goodreads, Storygraph, or a good old fashioned pencil and pad, and let's find you your next favorite read.
Year of the Mer by L.D. Lewis — April 7
Year of the Mer is the debut dark fantasy novel from L.D. Lewis, who you may know as one of the co-founders of FIYAH Literary Magazine or from her short fiction work. Now Lewis has turned her craft toward a bloody retelling of The Little Mermaid retelling that dives deep into themes of family legacy and revenge. If you enjoyed books like Priory of the Orange Tree and Circe, Year of the Mer is a story you'll want to check out.
The fairy tale mermaid Arielle might have gotten her happily-ever-after, but her granddaughter Yemi is having a much harder time. Her father, the king of Ixia, was assassinated years ago, her mother is slowly dying of a poisoned wound, and she faces whispers and slights from her own people. Yemi has been raised as the shield of the kingdom and is soon to inherit the throne, but she cannot shake her fury at how Ixia has treated her family after all they’ve sacrificed. Only her patient mother and steadfast personal bodyguard (and fiancée), Nova, help Yemi rein in that fury...most of the time.
When the kingdom’s discontented rumblings reach a fever pitch, a coup erupts and Yemi’s throne is usurped, stripping her of her family and forcing her into exile. Now, only one being has the power to help her: Ursla.
Like her grandmother before her, Yemi is tempted by a deal with the sea-witch. With powerful and ancient magic behind her, Yemi could avenge her family, take back her throne, and protect the love of her life. But she should know more than anyone that there is always a price. As much as Yemi wants vengeance, Ursla has been waiting a very, very long time for her own—and it may take more fortune than Yemi possesses to keep her from losing everything all over again.
The Subtle Art of Folding Space by John Chu — April 7
Like L.D. Lewis, John Chu is perhaps known for his extensive short fiction work, which has appeared in publications like Clarkesworld, Uncanny, Tor.com and elsewhere. The Subtle Art of Folding Space is his debut sci-fi novel. It's a sweeping story of quantum physics and generational trauma, as a woman named Ellie races to figure out why the layers of reality are coming undone — and how it's connected to a strange device with an unnerving tie to her comatose mother.
Ellie’s universe—and this one—is falling apart. Her ailing mother is in a coma; her sister, Chris, accuses her of being insufficiently Chinese between assassination attempts; and a shadowy cabal of engineers is trying to hijack the skunkworks, the machinery that keeps the physics of each universe working the way it’s supposed to.
Daniel, Ellie's cousin, has found an illicit device in the skunkworks—one that keeps Ellie's comatose mother alive while also creating destabilizing bugs in the physics of this universe. It's not a good day.
If she can confront her mother’s legacy and overcome her family’s generational trauma, she just might find a way to preserve the skunkworks and reconcile with her sister…but digging into her family’s past is thornier than it seems, and the secrets she uncovers will force Ellie to choose between her family and the universe itself.
What We Are Seeking by Cameron Reed — April 7
The Fortunate Fall author Cameron Reed is back with a new book this month, the standalone sci-fi story What We Are Seeking. Marketed as a tale of "queer hope and transformation," this novel follows a man named John Marintha who ends up stranded on a planet called Scythia, home to strange ecology and even stranger alien customs. Even from the brief description of the book, it's seems clear that this is a thought-provoking work of speculative fiction in the tradition of Ursula K. Le Guin or Amal El-Mohtar.
On the planet Scythia, plants give birth to insects and trees can drag you to your death. Artificial monsters stalk the desert, and alien basket-men have wandered into town.
John Maraintha has been abandoned here, light-years from the peaceful forests that he loves.
The desert is harsh and the people in thrall to a barbaric custom called marriage.
He must find some way to make a life here.
But on Scythia, survival means transformation—and not everyone is willing to change.
The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains by Reena McCarty — April 7
Now let's turn to some reading that's a bit lighter and fluffier. The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains by Reena McCarty is about a changeling named Poppy Hill who was abducted to the world of the fae as a baby, who ends up in the trade of finding loopholes in fairy contracts. But no one's perfect, and Poppy causes a mistake in a contract that leads her back to the fae world, where she has to contend with all sorts of mischief and unusual challenges, including an ex-boyfriend who I can only assume is a fairy, given his choice of abode.
When Poppy Hill was a child she was stolen from her family's Montana homestead and taken to the land of the fae, where she spent more than a century as a cook in the Wild King's castle. Now back in the human world, she works for a company that brokers fairy bargains, looking for loopholes in their contracts.
Then a bargain that Poppy is negotiating goes disastrously wrong and she has to return to the world she grew up in to try to rectify her mistake, facing danger, intrigue and a pesky ex-boyfriend along the way.
Shattered Glory by Seth Ring (The Exlian Syndrome #5) — April 7
LitRPG author Seth Ring is releasing the latest installment in his Exlian Syndrome series this month, titled Shattered Glory. Mark Fields once longed to join the elite Defense Force which defended his home from the alien Exlian, despite the fact that he had no powers and no prospects. Five books later, he's become a target for some of the most dangerous adversaries in New Emery, just as the Exlian invasion finally hits a fever pitch.
The Exlian Syndrome combines the level-up mechanics common to LitRPG with a story that fuses superhero drama with an alien threat. If you're enjoying Invincible, this series sounds like a great way to get similar (albiet more humorous) vibes from a book series that's nearing completion.
All things come to a head ...
Former dishwasher-turned-soldier-turned-hunter Mark Fields now faces the biggest threat yet: himself.
Pursued by some of the strongest Empowered in New Emery, taunted by the eerie prophet leading a mutant cult, all while trying to build a relationship—that's a lot even for an almost superhero.
As his friends and allies are scattered, Mark must master his abilities and discover his true origin and fight for his own survival—for the long-dreaded Exlian wave has broken at last, besieging the city.
On the brink of war, surrounded by enemies and divided loyalties, Mark must decide and embrace who he really is—alien monster? Elite soldier? Mutant savior? Exlian ... or human?
His choice will shape the future of New Emery—and of humanity.
To Steal a Throne by Gabi Burton — April 7
To Steal a Throne is the latest YA fantasy from Gabi Burton, author of the Sing Me to Sleep duology. Burton's latest work is about a woman named Mira Kyler who has the unique magic revolving around lies, which is perfect for her work as a spymaster keeping her brother in power. However, another magic user decides to vie for the throne, with the perfect counterpoint to Mira's own gift — with a single touch, he can tell the nature of another person's magic. If he touches Mira, the whole conspiracy comes crumbling down.
This man, Kaidren, and Mira's brother compete for the throne, while Mira decides she's had enough of serving others and decides to make her own play for power.
Her magic feeds on lies.
His magic could destroy her.
Mira Kyler runs the court of Virdei from the shadows. Ever since she helped her half-brother Luc cheat his way into the role of Virdei's leader, she's used her lie-powered magic to collect secrets from members of court, then used them as blackmail to keep her brother in power.
Kaidren Vale has magic of his own-magic that can detect the precise nature of someone else's power with a single touch. Kaidren is after the throne, and Mira knows it could be his for the taking if he so much as brushes against her and discovers Mira has been manipulating the court with her power for years.
As Kaidren and Luc compete for the throne in The Trials-three deadly challenges-Mira realizes, even as she fights to keep her brother in power, that no matter who wins, she'll be stuck serving someone else. She's done hiding in the shadows. She wants the throne for herself.
To get it, she'll have to betray both her own brother and Kaidren-but the fiercer the competition gets, the more Mira realizes that the one boy who could destroy everything is the one boy she might not be able to resist.
The Demon King by Peter V. Brett (The Nightfall Saga #3) — April 7
Peter V. Brett's Demon Cycle series is a hallmark of modern fantasy. Beginning with The Warded Man, it told the tale of Arlan Bales and his allies as they brought their world back from the brink after life there had warped around constant demonic incursions that put anyone unlucky enough to be caught without the proper protection wards in threat of imminent death.
The Nightfall Saga is a sequel to that series, which follows the next generation as the conflict against the demons reaches a newer, deadlier phase. It wraps up this month with The Demon King, and look, I'm not going to say that I would buy this book just based on its cover, but also look at that demon. Brett is a master of his craft, and it's a safe bet that The Demon King is going to prove a solid ending to this next chapter in his ongoing dark fantasy saga.
He is known as The Prince of Lies. The Father of Demons. He is Alagai Ka, the Demon King.
Though humanity won a hard-fought victory in its war against demonkind, the Demon King has escaped in search of a new queen to restart his dark hive, and has found signs of one on a distant shore.
But pursuing him are humanity's best hopes: Olive Paper and Darin Bales, whose legendary parents brought demonkind low once before. Olive and Darin will not rest until the demons are defeated, and so relentless is their hunt that they have followed Alagai Ka across the sea to a strange new land.
There they discover a culture unlike any they have never known, where demons live alongside humans as servants and companions. And there they meet the demon's masters—including a seductive prince who is drawn to Olive—who seem unable or unwilling to understand the danger they are in.
Because no human is safe from the Demon King's thirst for war—and every human must join the battle against his kingdom of death.
The Faith of Beasts by James S.A. Corey (The Captive's War #2) — April 14
Another genre heavyweight releasing a sequel this month is James S.A. Corey, the writing duo comprised of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck who's behind The Expanse. The story may have ended for James Holden and the Roci crew, but Franck and Abraham are already spinning up a new space opera: The Captive's War. This series leans into the more alien side of the genre, as distant human worlds are brought under the thrall of the bug-like Carryx, who scour the universe for intelligent lifeforms they can bend to their will in order to bolster their empire.
The first book, The Mercy of Gods, introduced readers to the Carryx and the human who would one day lead to their downfall: Dafyd Alkhor. It was a promising start, and thanks to James S.A. Corey's consistent output, we haven't had to wait long to find out what happens next.
The monstrous Carryx empire was built by subjugation and war. Thousands of species are bound to their Sovran’s command in an endless, blood-soaked test: be useful in the eternal conflict or be slaughtered.
Dafyd Alkhor, highest among their human captives, is feared and despised by the very people he champions. Ruthless in carving out his niche in the eternal war machine of the empire, he will reshape human nature itself as a tool for their alien masters’ use. But Dafyd’s loyalty is not what it seems.
The Swarm, an agent of the Carryx’s deathless enemy, has been smuggled into the Carryx world-palace along with the human slaves. Its mission: discover a way to bring down the empire’s eternal reign. But the longer it lives among and within humanity, the more it forgets that it is a weapon.
As the human captives spread through the battlefronts of empire, the awesome power of the Carryx becomes clear. And with it, a desperate plan for their destruction.But empires hide secrets, and even the deathless enemy may not be what it appears …Â
Stay for a Spell by Amy Coombe — April 14
April is a book with plenty of cozy fantasy to choose from, and one that's worth having on your radar if you're looking for something new in the genre is Stay for a Spell, the debut novel from Amy Coombe. This book is about a princess who is imprisoned in a bookshop by a curse, until she finds her one true heart's desire. But obviously, this princess is a bookish sort who loves nothing more than being relegated to perusing the stacks until the end of her days — which of course makes it all the more infuriating when an "irritatingly handsome pirate" comes calling, and her parents continuously send princely suitors to draw her out of her solitude.
Princess Tanadelle of the Widdenmar is disillusioned with life as a princess. She longs for real conversation, the chance to build a life of her own making, and uninterrupted reading time.
During a routine royal visit to the town of Little Pepperidge, Tandy’s dream comes true when she finds herself cursed to remain in a run-down bookshop until she unlocks her heart’s desire. Certain that someone will figure out how to break the curse eventually, and delighted by the prospect of an entire bookstore of her own, Tandy settles into life among the stacks. She finds it easy to exchange balls and endless state dinners for teetering piles of books and an irritatingly handsome pirate who seems bent on stealing her stock.
She even starts to believe she's stumbled into her very own happily ever after.
There's just one, minor problem: as Tandy's royal duties go unfulfilled, her frantic parents start sending princes to woo her, each one of them certain their kiss will break the curse. After all, what more could a princess want but a prince?
Thistlemarsh by Moorea Corrigan — April 21
Thistlemarsh by Moorea Corrigan is an enchanting, romantic fantasy where an aspiring Faerie anthropologist must give up her dreams to care for an ailing family member at a dilapidated estate in the English country side...where, of course, she comes into contact with a Faerie who offers her a bargain. And is as handsome as he is arrogant. The vibes for this one are very cozy, perfect for a rainy spring day with a hot cup of tea.
Faeries disappeared over one hundred years ago, as suddenly as slipping through a doorway. It was only the very foolish, or the very determined, who held out hope for their return.
Welcome to Thistlemarsh—a ramshackle estate where an impoverished orphan and a beguiling Faerie collide in an enchanting novel of love, revenge, and ruin.
In the wake of The Great War, the world is a decidedly unmagical place for Mouse Dunne. She once dreamed of becoming a Faerie anthropologist, but with one telegram, her world shattered. At the Battle of the Somme, her cousin’s body disappeared into the mud, and her brother was left with debilitating shell shock. It was time, she knew, to put aside childish dreams.
When Mouse receives news that her uncle has left her the Faerie-blessed Thistlemarsh Hall, a dilapidated manor in the English countryside, she must leave her brother’s side and return to her childhood home to claim her birthright. But there is a catch in her uncle’s offer: If Mouse does not rehabilitate the crumbling house in one month’s time, she will forfeit her inheritance and any hope of caring for her brother.
It quickly becomes clear it’s impossible to repair the manor in the allotted time, until a mysterious Faerie appears with a proposition. He offers to restore Thistlemarsh...for a price. Mouse knows better than to trust a Faerie—especially one so insufferably handsome and arrogant—but she is out of options. There are dark and magical forces at work in the house, and Mouse must confront the ghosts of her past and the secrets of her heart or lose Thistlemarsh, and herself, in the process.
The Language of Liars by S.L. Huang — April 21
The Language of Liars is the latest book from The Water Outlaws author S. L. Huang, a mind-bending science fiction story where a spy infiltrates an alien race — but not you might expect. Ro invades the mind of an alien Star Eater, whose people hold the key to traveling space and resources that Ro's own desperately need. This book explores language as power and the hidden secrets of an alien, unknowable culture, in what sounds like a poignant, soul-searing novella.
Speak another people's language. Know them. Become them.
And discover you've destroyed them.
In his training as a spy, Ro was warned: you will always be living a lie.
Jumping into a Star Eater's mind in the first place requires a moment of perfect psychic connection, and he has studied all his life to comprehend their species. Admires them, respects them, is reverent at the idea of being one of them—the only species physiologically capable of mining the element needed for lightyear-spanning space travel. The species all others crave to know more of, but who have notoriously shared so very little. The species Ro's own small civilization, with its dwindling resources and withering reach, needs to know more about.
It will feel real, his elders impressed upon him. It will never be real.
But Ro's certainty runs deep: he will be different. Ro will not be an imposter hiding the truth of his past, because his heart will be one of them. He will be one of them.
To understand is to become. It never occurs to him that the mere act of understanding can destroy.
The Photonic Effect by Mike Chen — April 21
Mike Chen has written a ton of books over the years, from original stories like Light Years From Home and Vampire Weekend to tie-in novels for franchises like Star Wars, Marvel, and Star Trek. He has not one, not two, but four books releasing in 2026. April marks the second of them, after February's Star Wars Outlaws tie-in Low Red Moon.
The Photonic Effect is a space opera, so if you've enjoyed any of Chen's sci-fi work, you know this one will be right up your alley. And if you haven't read him yet, it's a standalone, which makes it a great entry point!
This novel follows a starship crew who finally returns home after ten years of adventures, trials, and challenges, only to get caught up in a multi-sided civil war the instant they get back. And while they'd certainly rather retire in peace, it isn't long before they're given no choice but to navigate their way through the morass of betrayals and intrigues, even as they struggle to get a grasp on the full breadth of the war.
The starship Horizon’s crew spent ten years trapped across the expanse of space. Now they’re finally home—only it’s not the home they knew. The Cluster, once a peaceful coalition of planets, has fractured in the wake of civil war.
Captain Demora Kim wants nothing more than to protect her surviving crew. It’s what she owes them after years of instability and terror. But in times of war, no one is allowed neutrality.
After an attack on a mining station leaves thousands dead, Demi’s efforts become almost impossible. Every ship is needed on the frontline. Thrust deeper into a conflict she barely understands, Demi considers a bold choice—one that might keep her promises but tip the galaxy further into chaos.
Sanctuary by James Cleary — April 28
We end the month with a post-apocalyptic speculative thriller in the vein of Silo and The Land of Milk and Honey. James Cleary's new novel Sanctuary takes place in a United States laid low by climate disaster, where people struggle to eke out a living as the landscape around them deteriorates. Fortunately for billionaire John Brandt, he saw this end coming and built a luxurious underground bunker for himself and his inner circle. Unfortunately for him, a desperate group of raiders also wants in.
Cleary's novel dives deep into a story of haves and have-nots, as the privileged few who escaped the apocalypse must contend with their own sense of morality and responsibility to their fellow humans while everyone tries desperately to survive the end times.
The near future…
Climate disasters have crippled the United States. With half the country under water and the other half a dust bowl, civil unrest would soon escalate into something darker, something unstoppable. Billionaire John Brandt anticipated this and channeled his money, power, and influence into being prepared for the great unraveling.
Now Brandt, his family, and his security team must retreat to Sanctuary, their underground bunker—a vast luxury mansion beneath the parched earth of the Nebraskan Great Plains. But they are not alone. Above ground a group of raiders are desperate to survive and will use any means possible to accomplish that goal.
As tensions mount both inside and out, battle lines are drawn— between the haves and the have-nots, between decency and expediency, between life and death. In this game, everyone's a loser.