5 indie fantasy books I'm excited for in 2025.

Hi it’s me! Hope you like my Christmas tree in the back :)No. 1: Woman of Wolves by Jess McFarlane

As soon as I saw the title of this novel, I knew it was meant for my ‘To be read’ list. It proclaims ferocity, strength, and not to mention ‘feminine rage’ as author Jess McFarlane describes it.

According to the tropes guide post on McFarlane’s instagram, the book features the following:

True enemies to lovers

Slow burn romance, where the heat scale keeps going up

Strong female characters with a hell of a lot of feminine rage

Huge muscly warrior men with hard shells but gooey centres

Medieval fantasy is a favourite of mine, and the promise of an exploration into ancient Irish folklore gets me excited. I am highly anticipating this release, which is scheduled for 25th February 2025.

Woman of Wolves: Arasgain Rule Book One Tropes List Graphic, from Jess McFarlane’s Instagram.No. 2: Of Sky and Embers by Claire Butler

Not only are the covers in this series stunning (check out my write up about my favourite covers here) but this book promises more intrigue and depth into this sand-magic filled world.

‘Of Sky and Embers’ sees characters survive deserts and deal with secrets revealed. In the author Claire Butler’s words,

“There are choices to be made, victory and success above or else? Or is the risk and cost of such too great. As gods and kings wage war, is love strong enough to stand between death and divinity?”

What intrigued me about this series in the first place was the desert/Middle Eastern inspired world building. It is a beautiful setting, ripe for magic and intrigue. And, as per what was featured in the first book in the series ‘Of Sand and Silk’ the romantasy elements are continued. In ‘Of Sky and Embers’, you can expect to encounter plot twists, sand-magic, deities, multiple character POV, and passionate romance.

Release date is scheduled for 18 January 2025.

Cover for ‘Of Sky & Embers’, Claire Butler. No. 3: A Kingdom of Curses - The Emergence by Danielle D. Drummond

As someone who is unapologetically drawn to pretty images and graphics, I couldn't resist the stunning tarot-themed posts on Danielle D. Drummond’s Instagram page (see below).

aussieindiepa A post shared by @aussieindiepa

I love tarot and all things mystical. To see a novel that encapsulates these topics has me invested. Drummond has also shared a selection of tarot cards on her Instagram, which form the reading that the character Paege receives.

The book is set to include some notable and favourable themes, such as a unique magic system, some hidden lineages, an enemies to lovers romance, and some secret identities.

As Drummond writes about the book “The King is our Judge, the people are our Jury and my prince, he is the Executioner.”

Release date is scheduled for 28 March 2025.

A Kingdom of Curses cover reveal post, sourced from the author’s Instagram page.No. 4: A City of Smoke and Demons by Kate Schumacher

The title of this dark fantasy immediately caught my attention. And the focus of this novel is set to be steamy in a slow burn kind of way.

Schumacher describes this book as a “gaslamp fantasy romance” and it is set to be filled with magic and secret societies, with Victorian-era gothic aesthetics.

There’s a plethora of popular tropes in this book, such as:

Forced proximity

Will they, won’t they romance

Found family

Low magic systems

And of course, it wouldn’t be a typical review of mine if I didn’t mention the cover! It is gorgeous, and would certainly look delightful on anyone’s book shelf. See the Instagram post below for a cover preview:

kate.schumacher.writer A post shared by @kate.schumacher.writer

A City of Smoke and Demons is scheduled for release November 2025.

No. 5: Enemies to Booksellers by Laura Catherine

The title of this is so playful, it’s hard to not be intrigued by this book. Especially the blurb, where the story starts off with a character named Morgan faking her own death. The story within boasts to be a cosy fantasy, focusing themes such as:

Found family

Mental health representation

Queer/sapphic romance

Learning to speak up and to trust

I love to break up some heavier and darker fantasy novels with something cosy, so this offering from Laura Catherine has got me interested in what’s next.

And when reading the overview, I was particularly intrigued with this statement, “Can Morgan keep her happy ending or will her secrets destroy everything?”

I guess I’ll have to read to find out.

Enemies to Booksellers is scheduled for release 18 January 2025.

Cover of ‘Enemies to Booksellers’ by Laura Catherine.

This release only misses out on the list because of a date technicality. It was brought earlier for release in December 2024 (original release date was January 2025), but I would be remiss for not mentioning it.

We follow characters Nik, Roman and Larissa again in the aftermath of a brutal attack.

From the author’s overview: With threats emerging from unexpected places-friends turned foes, vengeful witches, and lurking werewolves-Larissa and Nik must navigate a treacherous landscape of betrayal and magic. Will they uncover the secrets hidden in the darkness, or will Larissa ultimately succumb to the curse?

In true SK May fashion, this sequel Whispers in the Blood is set to be filled with many shock discoveries and twists and turns.

Cover of ‘Whispers from the Curse’ by SK May.

Of course, there are many more indie releases coming out in 2025. This list are my picks, but I would love to know yours. Let me know what you’re interested in reading from indie authors in 2025, drop a comment below if you would like.

Thank you for reading, and bring on 2025!