Best Summer Fantasy Books 2026
Saddle your mounts and prepare your spells because this season's newest fantasy books are ready to transport you to magnificent worlds beyond your wildest imagination. High fantasy, passionate romantasy, epic adventure and gothic suspense rule the summer. These new releases will transport you to the lands of unicorns and alternate realities with perilously high stakes. We're sure you'll enjoy these new reads from celebrated fantasy authors like Lex Croucher, Katherine Arden and more. To set you up for reading success, our in-house editorial team tracks the most anticipated new releases, using presales data, insider reviews and book lists curated by librarians. Explore new worlds these these topic picks for our Dragon Slayer Reader Type.
August New Release Fantasy Books
The Calamities
by Chuck Wendig
The heir to one of the world's most influential families reckons with the demonic secret of their power in this contemporary dark fantasy that melds occult magic with shocking family drama, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Accidents.
"Vivid, unsettling and darkly compelling, The Calamities is Chuck Wendig at his best." -- #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth
Book One of The Fiends: Mourning Mayne knows he'll one day bear the duty of managing his family's vast empire of wealth and power. But the feckless Mourning has always struggled to accept this legacy of cruelty, domination and exploitation ... and something even darker.
Because the Maynes are no ordinary family: Hidden in our world are the fiends: half-human, half-demon and possessed of a dark magic born from buying human souls, and the Maynes are one of the oldest and most influential fiendish families.
But when Mourning's estranged father, the formidable and terrifying Hadrian Mayne, demands that Mourning return to the fold, he has to decide whether to accept his legacy and embrace his role in the family or to forge his own destiny, and with it, change the course of the world.
Because along the way home, he will meet Key, a black-market seller of human souls, and Quinn, an artist who may hold the dark truth behind the fate of the fiends. Alone, they have all struggled with the darkness of their natures ... but together, they might find a path out of the shadows.
Steelborn (Standard Edition)
by Taylor J Larue
Introducing an epic, slow burn enemies-to-lovers romantasy novel about a heroine forged in steel and rage, and the cursed immortal who might turn out to be as much her salvation as she is his, perfect for fans of Danielle L. Jensen and Callie Hart.
Never run. Never bow. Never die.
Reya Connery became the Crimson Dagger, the most notorious thief in Rhiterra, by following a strict set of rules. One: There is no honor among thieves. Two: A good blade is key to any negotiation. Three: Only the dead keep secrets. And Reya has a secret that must be kept at all costs. But when a heist goes wrong on the eve of paying off her debt to a ruthless crime lord, Reya may need a new set of rules. And lots of coin. Fast.
Enter Caelan Halcyon, an immortal warrior whose magic makes him a valuable target, if the curse inching closer to his heart doesn't kill him first. There's just one person who might be desperate enough to try and get their hands on the fabled cure in time to save his life, someone whose legend claims they can steal anything: the Crimson Dagger. A male of honor, Caelan loathes everything the beautiful, cocky thief represents, yet knows that Reya is his last hope for survival.
Their search takes them to the edge of the known world, where Reya discovers that there is far more at stake than her and Caelan's own lives. Now, Reya must confront deadly foes, her growing attraction to the immortal who is as lethal as his jawline is perfect, and the rage she's spent a lifetime trying to bury. This time, her daggers aren't going to cut it, and the fate of all magic-born hangs in the balance.
Enter a world ruled by tyrants and thieves, where magic is outlawed, revolution brews, desire is dangerous and an impossible cure may prove deadlier than the curse.
Daggerbound
by T Kingfisher
DELUXE EDITION, a beautiful hardcover featuring bright pink sprayed edges, a foil case stamp and endpapers.
New York Times bestselling author T. Kingfisher returns to the charming fantasy world of Swordheart in this delightful and unexpected new romantic adventure.
Learned Edmund, a disillusioned scholar, is transporting yet another precious relic from one stuffy temple to a different stuffy temple. Another great adventure for the ages ...
But when Edmund is set upon by bandits, in desperation, he breaks the cardinal rule and grabs for the relic, an ancient sword. To his surprise, instead of unsheathing a rusty, ancient weapon, an alarmingly handsome man appears, wielding daggers of blue steel and cutting the thieves down.
This man is the Dervish, an immortal warrior who's been trapped for centuries in a sword of enchanted steel, and is angry as hell about it. He hates the curse that put him there, and he wants to hate Edmund, just as he has hated every wielder before him.
But the damned scholar is just so sweet and clever and kind. And while the Dervish may be able to protect Edmund from bandits, cultists, dragons and strange inhuman diplomats, he may find it much harder to protect his own heart.
Enheduanna's Song from the Sands
by Ellen Rachlin
Discover the untold story of Enheduanna, the world's first named author, as she navigates power, betrayal and divine destiny in ancient Mesopotamia. A mesmerizing fusion of history, myth and female leadership that challenges how we see the past -- and ourselves.
A high priestess dethroned. A rebel with a dangerous plan. One empire hanging by a thread.
When Enheduanna is named High Priestess of Ur, her connection to the gods makes her a target. Lugalanne's coup strips her of robes, power and home, casting her into the perilous underworld. There, amid forests of shadows and treacherous trials, she discovers that divine favor alone won't save her -- only cunning, courage and a willingness to embrace the ruthlessness of her enemies can restore her.
Drawing on history and myth, Enheduanna's Song From the Sands follows the world's first named author as she fights to reclaim her voice and her destiny. Political intrigue, betrayal and divine tests collide as Enheduanna must decide whether to forgive, to fight, or to harness the power that could shake the foundations of an empire. For readers who love The Song of Achilles's intimate heroism, Circe's mythic depth, or The Daughters of Sparta's fierce women, this is a mesmerizing dive into ancient Mesopotamia where courage and cunning are the only paths to survival.
The Lion & the Deathless Dark: Book 1 of the Bloodborn Duet
by Carissa Broadbent
#1 New York Times bestselling author and BookTok sensation Carissa Broadbent returns with a brand new novel in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, The Lion & the Deathless Dark - the first book in the Bloodborn Duet.
Some blood tastes like vengeance. Some blood tastes like grief. Some blood tastes like nothing at all.
Under an eternal night, the world has been ravaged by ten years of war between humans and vampires. Kyrene scrapes by as a bounty hunter, bearing a blessed sword from the goddess of justice. But in the wake of a devastating loss, Kyrene commits a crime that makes her a target for mortals and gods alike, and she is still desperate for vengeance.
Her only chance at survival -- and revenge -- is making a deal with her enemy, the silver-tongue vampire prince, Septimus, who offers her one final job: to slay the gods themselves.
Together, Kyrene and Septimus must hunt the ultimate marks, all while navigating a web of prophecies and curses. Septimus is calculating and mysterious, masking secrets bloodthirsty enough to consume them both. Yet, most dangerous of all, Kyrene finds an unexpected kinship in him.
But their growing attraction is deadly in a world where the only currency is blood. And Kyrene will stop at nothing to fulfill her ultimate goal: to kill the goddess of vampires, even if it means sacrificing love for revenge.
Every kingdom breaks ... Every ruler kneels ...This is how a pantheon falls.
A Trade of Blood
by Robert Jackson Bennett
Detective Ana Dolabra must prove a condemned man's innocence and confront a terrifying magical technology in this fantasy-mystery from the bestselling author of The Tainted Cup, winner of the Hugo and World Fantasy awards.
The heir to one of the Empire's most powerful families sits in jail, accused of murder. His hands are covered in the victim's blood, and he can neither deny his guilt nor explain his actions.
But if the great detective Ana Dolabra cannot save him from the noose, the farming canton of Sapirdad will explode into war, threatening to plunge the whole Empire into starvation and chaos.
As Ana investigates, her assistant Dinios Kol, as ever, acting as her eyes and ears -- she fears her task is even more daunting than it seemed. For this murder is just the latest in a deeper, subtler web of death, woven by a mastermind with an ancient weapon at his disposal.
With their customary skill, Ana and Din pursue their adversary through the canton's wild ranges, sprawling ranches and reeking slaughterhouses. Yet even they are not prepared to learn the horrifying secret behind their opponent's powers.
Queen of Shadow
by P. C. Cast
From #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today bestselling author P. C. Cast -- a passionate and magical epic bringing alive Celtic legend, perfect for romantasy fans who love Sue Lynn Tan and Thea Guanzon and historical fantasy fans of Madeline Miller.
Step into the mystical world of the Isle of Skye in 200 BCE, where legends come to life, goddess and gods walk the mortal earth, and the Queen of Shadow holds court. But Scáthach is no ordinary queen. Daughter of the Underworld goddess Bēfionn, golden-haired Scáthach is not just a brilliant trainer of warriors, her divine mother has gifted her with the ability to pass between the living world and the Underworld and has granted her dominion over shadows.
Scáthach dedicates her life to training the most talented warriors from across the ancient world at Dunscaith Castle, her impenetrable fortress on the magical Isle of Skye. When Cuchulainn, the Hero of Ulster, son of the Irish god Lugh, arrives asking to become one of her students, Scáthach reluctantly agrees to train him--even though she has serious misgivings about his violent past and the mindless berserker who sleeps within him and whose rage, once awakened, has always been uncontrollable ... until the Hero of Ulster meets the Queen of Shadow. Scáthach soon realizes Cuchulainn is much more than the brutal, emotionless warrior everyone expects him to be. And the Hero of Ulster begins to believe he might take control of and even change his foretold fate.
As their growing attraction deepens, Cuchulainn's father, the God of Light, forces him to retrieve a weapon that will seal Cuchulainn's fate and forever take him away from the Queen of Shadow. But when Scáthach joins him on the quest through the most dangerous and disturbing parts of the Underworld, Scáthach discovers that her fate may lie in the Underworld and, perhaps, she might be able to forge a future for herself and Cuchulainn by tricking death herself. …
July New Release Fantasy Books
The Brides: A Feminist Horror Novel for Fans of Dracula (Original)
by Charlotte Cross
Creepy, sumptuous and incredibly gripping, The Brides is a feminist gothic horror about the three women who became the brides of Dracula - and the fourth who managed to escape . . .
"Come to me, and be mine for eternity."
1884. When Mafalda journeys to Budapest to care for her grieving aunt, her secret love, Lucy, hurries from London to comfort her, with chaperone and lady's maid in tow.
But lady's maid Alice, blessed and cursed with the Sight, is tormented by terrifying visions. When chaperone Eliza falls prey to a disturbing wasting illness, the women hope to seek the healing waters of Transylvania. At a nobleman's invitation, they set out for Castle Dracula.
In the depths of the forest, miles from civilization, their host reveals his true intentions; a monstrous ambition which will tear the women apart.
And not all of them will survive.
The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance
by Chiara Bullen
"A heartfelt and heartwarming story about finding your own peace . . . charming and lovely."--Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop
A young aspiring scholar is sent to research the mysteries of an adventurer's inn--only to uncover a centuries-old secret, while finding true friendship and a new home, in this uplifting cozy fantasy.
Mount Vengeance is legendary. For most, it's an adventure or a quest to prove themselves worthy of fame and glory. For Ainsworth Gladsly, it's the perfect thesis material.
Ainsworth is an ambitious research fellow and up-and-coming historian, finally ready to make his mark on the world. When his supervisor learns of the rumored Misnich Inn at the foot of Mount Vengeance, she sends Ainsworth to be the first to document the exploits of the bold adventurers who seek to face the perils of the mountain and the dragon said to inhabit it.
The inn is far from the sophisticated city life he's grown to love, but even as he grudgingly warms to its rustic charm--and its lovely innkeeper, Honey--the mystery of the mountain refuses to reveal itself. Worse, Ainsworth can't find evidence that anyone has ever undertaken the climb. Even the bravest warriors who stay at the inn turn away from Mount Vengeance the next day.
With Ainsworth's reputation on the line, he can't allow this mystery to remain unsolved--even if he has to push the adventurers up the mountain himself.
Dominion
by Jean Kwok
A woman with no past. A warrior with no future. Their love could save the world--or burn it down.
Fourth Wing--by way of Chinese mythology--meets The Hunger Games in a perilous world where a young woman with no memory and little magic may hold the key to uniting the Dominions and saving the mortal realm, from the New York Times bestselling author of Read with Jenna pick Searching for Sylvie Lee and Girl in Translation.
This deluxe limited first-run edition features a cover with foil, designed sprayed edges, and gorgeous map endpapers--while supplies last!
"A page turner. Tender yet tense, loving yet steamy, dangerous yet darkly humorous...Dominion creates something entirely new." --Brigitte Knightley, New York Times bestselling author of The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy
In a world divided into four rival dominions, power is everything -- and Rubi Morningtail has almost none. Three years after the Annihilation destroyed her homeland and shattered her memories, she lives as an Azure refugee in the Dominion of the Silver Tyger, scraping by as a ribbon dancer and hiding her little bit of singing magic. When she wounds a massive battle tyger on her doorstep, she draws the notice of Blake Axefire --supreme metal mage, leader of the royal Tyger Warriors, and the last man an Azure should trust. His sentence? Cast her into the Bonding, a brutal trial where tygers choose their riders and slaughter the rest. Surviving is unthinkable.
But survive she does. Now she's stuck on Blake's elite team racing to reseal the Anchors to the Demon Realm. With rebels striking, demons rising, and the dominions at each other's throats, Rubi must unlock the truth of her magic and her past...while resisting her dangerous attraction to the ruthless warrior who could be her redemption or her ruin.
Among the Thorns
by Jennifer K Lambert
Two sorceresses of unrivaled potential clash to claim the greater fate and the heart of prince charming in this deliciously romantic fantasy set in the same world as the USA Today bestselling romantasy Never the Roses by Jennifer K. Lambert.
"Love, magic, heartbreak, and healing." --Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop, on Never the Roses
Ambitious young sorceress Rose of Northbrooke is about to graduate. She's the only known dream sorcerer of her generation and she's a remarkable one. No wonder she has a prince of the realm trailing her skirts.
But when rumors of dream magic gone awry reach her ear, Rose discovers she's not the only oneiromancer of her generation. And she might not be the most powerful.
In a faraway cottage, Thorn has lived a simple and isolated life. She longs to be a part of the world and to be rescued by a prince who could love her with his whole heart. When she discovers there's another dream sorceress out there who owns everything Thorn has ever wanted, she hungers even more for all she's been denied. Everything Rose has.
When Rose and Thorn meet, the outcome is clear: only one sorceress can live out in the open and claim the prince's loving hand... Perhaps, only one can live at all.
Deliciously messy and lusciously romantic, Among the Thorns will pierce your heart.
This hardcover edition includes a beautifully designed map, printed endpapers, and a stunning case stamp.
Ungodly Rich
by Katharine McGee
Old gods, new rules. New York Times bestselling author Katharine McGee puts a modern-day twist on ancient mythology in this bold reimagining of the Greek gods as a family of billionaires, with all the messy drama that entails.
When Julia Dodds meets Harry Adams, love hits her like a lightning bolt. He's adventurous, charismatic, and impossibly handsome. Little does Julia know that her boyfriend has left out a few key details. His name isn't Harry: it's Ares, as in the ancient god of war. His mother is Hera, and his father is Zeus.
Soon, Julia is caught up in a world of wealth and privilege as she joins Harry at a lavish family reunion. Except these billionaires don't just have wealth; they have divine powers. And the moment she steps onto their private island, Julia becomes their latest target.
It's no secret that the Gods love to meddle, and when it comes to Julia, Harry's immortal relatives each have their own agenda. Harry's mother, Hera, will do anything to protect her own. Harry's sister-in-law Aphrodite has a deeply personal reason for hating Julia, and tasks Hermes, keeper of family secrets, with digging up dirt. Meanwhile, Hades has spent years trying to upend Zeus's power--and now he finally sees an opportunity to strike.
Set against a globe-trotting backdrop that sweeps from New York's exclusive private clubs to the wilds of New Zealand to the gated estates of the British aristocracy, Ungodly Rich is a story of love, revenge, secrets, sex, and the most ancient motivator of all: family.
Sea of Charms: A Spellshop Novel
by Sarah Beth Durst
DELUXE EDITION--a gorgeous hardcover edition featuring beautiful cerulean blue sprayed edges!
A LibraryReads pick!
Most anticipated from BookBub, Apple Books and BookPage. Featured in: The New York Times and ScreenRant.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah Beth Durst brings cozy fantasy romance to the high seas in Sea of Charms, the third magical adventure in the Spellshop series!
Marin has always belonged on the great blue sea.
Betrayed by love, Marin lives and works as a supply runner, sailing from island to island, delivering an array of goods with Perri the sea serpent and Ree the sailor shrub as her crew.
On one of her routine trips to the capital, Alyssium, Marin finds a revolution underway--and her friend Dax in the line of fire.
What starts as a rescue evolves into a deal: Marin will keep Dax on as a member of her crew if he pretends to be her boyfriend at the End-of-Harvest Festival back home.
But against her better judgment, Marin finds herself intrigued by his stubbornness, his passion for stories, his charming smile--and realizes that perhaps she isn't saving him. Maybe it's the other way around.
Sea of Charms is a cozy fantasy romance about finding your crew, your family, and moreover, finding yourself.
Read in whatever order your heart desires, but don't miss The Spellshop and The Enchanted Greenhouse.
"I, for one, couldn't ask for more." --Sangu Mandanna on The Spellshop
Prince of Swords
by Elise Kova
Welcome back to Arcana Academy. Tarot magic, forbidden desire, battle, and betrayal collide for the power to change the world in the thrilling second book of this New York Times bestselling fantasy romance series.
The dazzling first edition hardcover of Prince of Swords will feature gold foil page edges, designed endpapers, two interior black-and-white maps, a custom-stamped case, and a premium dust jacket with foil--while supplies last!
I am terrified. Yet my heart skips a beat. This man might be a monster, but he is my monster.
Clara Graysword is Oricalis's most wanted. Hunted and cornered, not even her mastery of tarot can save her this time . . . until the mysterious Worldkeepers appear. This secretive order may hold the key to changing Clara's fate. If she dares to trust them.
But the most dangerous alliance of all is one she's already deeply ensnared within: Prince Kaelis.
Kaelis, second-born prince of Oricalis and headmaster of Arcana Academy, is the one man she can't escape--maybe she doesn't want to escape. Ruthless, dangerous, and bound to Clara by destiny and desire, Kaelis tests her heart as much as her loyalty. Together, they grow closer to the most powerful secrets of the tarot . . . and to the truths they both hide that could destroy the passion that they no longer deny.
Hidden in plain sight within Arcana Academy, Clara walks the dagger's edge. Revelations about Oricalis threaten everything she thought she knew, and every choice she makes is the difference between salvation and ruin.
To change the world, Clara must risk everything--her power, her beliefs, and her heart.
Book Two in The Arcana Academy Series
The Demon Star
by Jesse Aragon
"Mythic, propulsive, and rich with characterization, The Demon Star is one hell of a debut." --Pierce Brown, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of the Red Rising series
On a ruined planet oppressed by eldritch gods, a rebel leader forces his son to become the vessel of a god-killing demon. Caught in a conflict spanning galaxies and millennia, two unlikely allies must decide whether to save the child, their world, or themselves.
The otherworldly religious conflict of Dune, the cosmic strangeness of Gideon the Ninth, and the heart-pounding action of Red Rising converge in this horror-tinged epic science fantasy debut
Ysira Naktis was a human sacrifice, destined for death. But unlike the thousands "harvested" each year, she did the unthinkable. She survived--and what she brought back with her could rewrite the fate of her civilization.
When Ysira's son is chosen for demonic possession, she is faced with a choice: allow him to harness cosmic power at an unspeakable cost or doom millions to save him. She finds an unlikely ally in Brother Jacen Kheris, once a gifted exorcist, now an addict desperate for purpose.
From a demon-haunted canyon to a starbound satellite, they must battle their way through cultists, aliens, and the gods themselves. The truths they unearth send them hurtling down a path that can only lead to apocalypse.
June Fantasy Books for Adults
The Children
by Melissa Albert
"An extraordinary book. It's a page-turner, full of mystery, but that's the least of it. The language is dusted with magic. The Children reminded me of Ray Bradbury at his best." -- Stephen King
The haunting new novel from New York Times bestselling author Melissa Albert, in which the estranged adult children of a legendary author, written into their dead mother's beloved fantasy series, must contend with the vine-like creep of legacy, memory, and magic.
Guinevere Sharpe has two childhoods. In one, she and her brother, Ennis, live in the wooded shadow of their family's isolated Vermont farmhouse; in the other, the pages of their mother's world-famous Ninth City books, where their magical adventures have made them household names.
In reality, Guinevere's childhood isn't the enchanted idyll her mother's readers imagine: she and Ennis are growing up near-feral, unwashed and underfed, escaping each day to the wild woods they've made their playland. As Edith Sharpe's books explode into epic popularity, the threats of a rural childhood give way to the escalating perils of fame -- until the night it all goes up in flames, leaving Edith's series unfinished and her children the sole survivors.
Now an adult coasting on her mother's name, Guinevere is mid-promotion for a ghostwritten memoir when her estranged brother, an artist who has until now spurned his family's legacy, announces an upcoming installation titled, simply, Mother. As rumors swirl around a death connected to his last show, unsettling recollections from Guinevere's childhood begin to surface. Her public facade starts to crack, forcing her to confront the questions she's spent the last 20 years running from: What really happened the night of the fire? And what dark history lies behind their mother's fantasy world?
The Children is wise to the mythic weight childhood memories gather over time, and the way our most beloved stories grow up with us. It's for anyone who's ever revisited an old favorite and found its pages cast in a darker light, the line separating magic from reality blurring as we discover the books that once comforted us carry shadows of their own.
The Unicorn Hunters
by Katherine Arden
In a desperate gamble to save her throne, a young monarch conceals a secret marriage in the shadows of an enchanted forest--and unknowingly alters the fate of her world -- in this dazzling novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Bear and the Nightingale.
This otherworldly hardcover edition includes an illustrated jacket, a foil-stamped case and designed full-color endpapers!
"I loved every moment I spent in this magical, dangerous and haunted realm in the company of its clever and captivating duchess." -- Naomi Novik, author of A Deadly Education
Anne of Brittany was a child when France invaded and drove her royal father to his death. Now, she is a young woman, sovereign duchess of an occupied realm, and France means to crown their conquest by marrying her to their king. Such an alliance would put her title, her lands and her body forever in the hands of her enemies.
But Anne refuses to be the last duchess of Brittany. Her only hope of resisting conquest is another alliance sealed with marriage, so Anne arranges a daring last gambit: a secret betrothal to Charles of France's greatest rival. But secrets are hard to keep in a world where rival courts spy on each other with diviners.
The forest of Brocéliande was once the haunt of Merlin the Enchanter and the long-lost faerie queen. But magic is long gone from Broceliande, except for the occasional sight of a unicorn and one critical quirk: This ancient forest is completely hostile to divination.
While pretending compliance with France, Anne plans a unicorn hunt in Brocéliande. A bit of pointless pageantry. A diversion so she can wed in secret. Or so she thinks.
In this rich and epic novel, the author of the acclaimed Winternight trilogy turns the real history of a remarkable woman into an unforgettable tale of mystery, enchantment and the price of power.
The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones
by Lex Croucher
"A WONDROUS BOOK ... ABOUT LOVE AND HURT AND HOW WE SURVIVE IT ALL TOGETHER." - JOHN GREEN
"I WAS PHYSICALLY INCAPABLE OF PUTTING THIS BOOK DOWN." - OLIVIE BLAKE
"FANS OF THE MAGICIANS AND NINTH HOUSE HAVE FOUND THEIR NEW OBSESSION." - LAURA STEVEN
From New York Times bestselling author Lex Croucher comes an extraordinary dark academia fantasy about dangerous privilege, corrupted power and two former best friends caught on opposite sides of the secrets rotting at the heart of Britain's most prestigious boarding school.
For as long as they can remember, Briar Jones dreamed of attending the Temple School of Thaumaturgy. Behind its looming ornate gates, the elite boarding school -- the place that has produced the most CEOs and Prime Ministers in British history -- is whispered to be magical.
Briar's best friend, Sebastian Wolfe, never cared about Temple. He just wanted them to stay together forever. When, at age 11, Seb gets an acceptance letter and Briar doesn't, their childhood friendship is shattered. Seb vanishes onto Temple's grounds and Briar resigns themself to a mundane life. But they can't completely forget their yearning for Temple, for the extraordinary, to be one of the chosen in the ivory tower.
Seven years later, Briar secures a temp job sorting through the junk in Temple's attics. And when Briar takes it, they discover that quiet, sensitive Seb, the boy they once loved more than anything else in the world, has become Bastian: a beautiful, arrogant villain feared by the entire school. And worse, the secrets Temple is hiding might not be so enchanting after all.
White Lights
by Lauren Kate
#1 New York Times bestselling author Lauren Kate's Fallen series has sold over 11 million copies around the world. Now, she returns to the seductive world of angels with a ruthless romantasy, perfect for both Fallen fans and new readers alike.
"Dark, seductive, and original." ― Jennifer L. Armentrout, #1 New York Times bestselling author of From Blood and Ash
"Lauren Kate has created a highly addictive romantasy. White Lights is a must read I devoured in two days." ―Jade Presley, New York Times bestselling author of The Never List
"The perfect book for those of us who were raised on the iconic Fallen series!" ―Cosmopolitan
When mysterious Rafe de la Cruz rolls into Desdemona's life to recruit her to the elite film school Acheron, Dez has no reason to trust him -- and no other option. A violent attack has just put her brother in the hospital ... and Dez is the only suspect. Guilt-ridden and grieving, she finds herself running from the law to chase her longtime dream of making movies, at a school she's never heard of. Soon, she's dropped into Acheron's cutthroat world of seductive intrigue, power on an otherworldly scale and deadly competition.
Acheron may seem like the ticket to a future Dez has always wanted, but as she delves deeper into the secret work being done there, she finds herself trapped in an existential conflict on a cosmic scale -- with more than her heart on the line.
Related Recommendations: Craving more out-of-this-world adventures? Explore sci-fi books, dystopian thrillers and graphic novels in our Galactic Guru Reading Guide, or revisit our Top Fantasy Books From Spring 2026.