Most Anticipated Fantasy Books Still Coming in Late 2026

Updated October 10, 2026. This guide focuses on five fantasy books still scheduled for U.S. publication from the rest of October through December 2026. Victorious, released October 6, has moved to “Already Released” below.

The next dates to watch are October 13 for Christopher Buehlman’s The Thrice-Bound Fool and October 20 for Alix E. Harrow’s The Slantwise Histories. Beyond those October picks, the remaining shortlist includes an ACOTAR continuation, Holly Black’s illustrated faerie tales and Brandon Sanderson’s December Cosmere release. Here is what each offers—and what to read first.

Our ranking balances the appeal of returning series, inventive premises and options for different reading moods. It is an editorial anticipation list, not a ranking of books we have reviewed. Dates refer to the linked publishers’ U.S. listings, checked for this update; schedules and editions can vary.

Most Anticipated Fantasy Books Still Coming in Late 2026

1. A Court of Splintered Harmony by Sarah J. Maas

Scheduled release: October 27, 2026. The date and publication details are listed on the publisher’s page for A Court of Splintered Harmony.

Maas’s return to Prythian takes the top spot on this shortlist because it gives readers a chance to continue a story they have spent years following. Bloomsbury lists A Court of Splintered Harmony for October 27, with A Court of Forgotten Melody following on January 12, 2027. Only the October book belongs in this late-2026 ranking.

This is a continuation for established ACOTAR readers. Start with A Court of Thorns and Roses if you are new to the series, or use our ACOTAR recap before A Court of Splintered Harmony to refresh your memory. The appeal here is returning to a familiar world; character theories should still be treated as theories.

2. The Fires of December by Brandon Sanderson

Scheduled release: December 8, 2026. The date and publication details are listed on the publisher’s page for The Fires of December.

Sanderson’s December release is the strongest fit here for readers who want an imaginative new setting without starting a long series. A young woman called December learns that a plague is approaching and travels up the River Violet to warn the royal court. The world’s rivers are sustained by demon blood, giving the journey a distinctly strange foundation.

The publisher identifies this as a standalone narrated by Hoid and says the Hoid’s Travails novels can be read in any order. That makes it an accessible option even if your Cosmere reading is incomplete. Its combination of an urgent journey, an unusual magical landscape and court intrigue earns it a high place on our list.

3. The Thrice-Bound Fool by Christopher Buehlman

Scheduled release: October 13, 2026. The date and publication details are listed on the publisher’s page for The Thrice-Bound Fool.

Kinch Na Shannack and Galva return for a dangerous quest centered on a stolen book with a mind of its own—and a habit of attacking its reader. Kinch must uncover its magic and secrets while Galva protects him, hoping the answers will help save the queen she serves. Pursued by the Taker’s Guild, the pair venture beyond familiar territory, where stranger threats await.

Why it stands out: the book turns the usual fantasy quest object into an active danger, giving Kinch and Galva trouble even between encounters with their pursuers. It is our third-ranked remaining release for readers who want dark adventure, trickery and humor. Start with The Blacktongue Thief; this is its direct sequel. The related prequel The Daughters’ War adds background to Galva’s world.

4. The Slantwise Histories by Alix E. Harrow

Scheduled U.S. release: October 20, 2026. The date and publication details are listed on the publisher’s page for The Slantwise Histories.

Harrow’s collection brings together familiar short fiction and five new stories. It includes A Witch’s Guide to Escape: A Practical Compendium of Portal Fantasies and The Six Deaths of the Saint, alongside tales of ghosts, longing and people pushed to history’s edges. The premise behind the collection is an appealing one: imagine the past taking a different turn, then explore who might gain a voice in that altered world.

Why it stands out: this is the most approachable remaining pick for readers who want complete stories in shorter sessions. It also gives newcomers a way to sample Harrow before committing to a novel. Existing fans should note that much of the fiction has appeared before, with the publisher describing preferred versions of several stories. The U.S. date is October 20; Pan Macmillan’s U.K. edition is scheduled for October 22.

5. A Conspiracy of Charming Monsters by Holly Black

Scheduled release: November 3, 2026. The date and publication details are listed on the publisher’s page for A Conspiracy of Charming Monsters.

Black returns to the worlds of Elfhame and the Modern Faerie Tales in an illustrated collection featuring art by Solenne Songer, also known as Frostbite Studios. The book contains six stories, including two previously unpublished tales connected to Madoc and Cardan.

This is a companion collection for readers already invested in Black’s faerie characters, rather than the next full-length Folk of the Air novel. The mix of stories and illustrations gives it a different place on a fall reading list: something to savor between longer books, and a natural option for readers who enjoy returning to familiar characters.

Already Released

The earlier version of this guide included the titles below. They are already available as of this October update, so they have been removed from the upcoming ranking. Some were new 2026 editions or U.S. releases of previously published work; they should not all be described as brand-new novels.

Victorious by V. E. Schwab — released October 6, 2026. The Villains finale is now available, as confirmed by its publisher’s listing. Read Vicious and Vengeful first for the background to Victor Vale and Eli Ever’s rivalry. It remains a choice for readers drawn to power, revenge and morally complicated characters, but it no longer belongs in an upcoming-release ranking.

• The Poet Empress by Shen Tao
• The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee
• City of Others by Jared Poon
• Platform Decay (The Murderbot Diaries, #8) by Martha Wells
• The Tapestry of Fate (Amina al-Sirafi, #2) by Shannon Chakraborty
• Daughter of Crows (The Academy of Kindness, #1) by Mark Lawrence 
• Nine Goblins by T. Kingfisher
• The Midnight Carousel by Fiza Saeed McLynn
• A Trade of Blood (Shadow of the Leviathan) by Robert Jackson Bennett
• The Girl with a Thousand Faces by Sunyi Dean
• Saltswept by Katalina Watt
• Isles of the Emberdark: A Cosmere Novel by Brandon Sanderson
• Graceless Heart by Isabel Ibañez
• Underlake by Erin L. McCoy
• No Man’s Land by Richard K. Morgan

Platform Decay was published May 5, 2026, and is science fiction. For developments beyond that release, our next Murderbot book status guide is the destination to follow. The Last Contract of Isako is also science fiction, rather than a conventional fantasy release.

The Tapestry of Fate arrived May 12, 2026, while the Tor edition of Isles of the Emberdark arrived February 3. Nine Goblins is previously published fiction with a 2026 deluxe edition. These remain possible reading choices, but their publication dates are no longer reasons to anticipate them later this year.

Which Late-2026 Fantasy Book Should You Choose?

For a continuing romantic-fantasy series, choose A Court of Splintered Harmony. For a standalone with an unusual setting, consider The Fires of December. For a darker ongoing adventure, read The Blacktongue Thief before The Thrice-Bound Fool arrives October 13. If you want a series finale you can read now, Victorious is already available after Vicious and Vengeful.

For shorter reading sessions, The Slantwise Histories provides a collection you can approach one story at a time. Established Holly Black readers can look forward to A Conspiracy of Charming Monsters in November. That range is what makes the remaining release calendar worth watching: you can plan around the kind of reading you actually want to do.