Must-Have Monday #250
Must-Have Monday is a feature highlighting which of the coming week’s new releases I’m excited for. It is not meant to be a comprehensive list of all books being published that week; only those I’m interested in out of those I’m aware of! The focus is diverse SFF, but other stuff sneaks in occasionally too.
TEN books this week!
(Books are listed in order of pub date, then Adult SFF, Adult Other, YA SFF, YA Other, MG SFF.)
May Chaos Reign Over You by La Purvis Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC, Black sapphic love interest, F/F
Published on: 19th August 2025
Goodreads
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Hezi is the purveyor of wine and chaos at Wayward Sip, the safe haven she created to escape her abusive ex. As chaos incarnate, she bestows her golden apples at her discretion and it is there that she meets Edno. The young dragon carries a darkness that threatens unmeasurable destruction and Hezi can't help but offer him the thing he wants most -- power. But when he returns days later with Emry, the alpha of his coven, Hezi realizes she made a mistake.
Edno was consumed by chaos. But rather than feeling remorse, Hezi is amused and Emry is incensed. Emry decides that Hezi's life will be a suitable replacement for Edno's, but when their eyes lock, Emry's demands become far more personal than she'd anticipated. Bigger problems arise however as Emry is called back to her home to deal with the growing mistrust between her coven and The Regime, while Hezi's ex is trying to force his way back into her life.
Hezi knows that getting attached to anyone is a risk, but she doesn't know which is more terrifying -- pushing everyone away for fear of losing them, or succumbing to the love of a dragon hellbent on claiming Hezi as her own.
Excuse me, our mc has four eyes??? I’m listening!
Lessons in Magic and Disaster by Charlie Jane Anders Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Trans MC, nonbinary spouse, lesbian MC, lesbian spouse
Published on: 19th August 2025
Goodreads
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In the vein of Alice Hoffman and Charlie Jane Anders's own All the Birds in the Sky comes a novel full of love, disaster, and magic.
A young witch teaches her mother how to do magic--with very unexpected results--in this relatable, resonant novel about family, identity, and the power of love.
Jamie is basically your average New England academic in-training--she has a strong queer relationship, an esoteric dissertation proposal, and inherited generational trauma. But she has one extraordinary secret: she's also a powerful witch.
Serena, Jamie's mother, has been hiding from the world in an old one-room schoolhouse for several years, grieving the death of her wife and the simultaneous explosion in her professional life. All she has left are memories.
Jamie’s busy digging into a three-hundred-year-old magical book, but she still finds time to teach Serena to cast spells and help her come out of her shell. But Jamie doesn't know the whole story of what happened to her mom years ago, and those secrets are leading Serena down a destructive path.
Now it's up to this grad student and literature nerd to understand the secrets behind this mysterious novel from 1749, unearth a long-buried scandal hinted therein, and learn the true nature of magic, before her mother ruins both of their lives.
I’ve loved Anders’ previous standalones, but wasn’t sure if I’d vibe with this one? SHOULDN’T HAVE WORRIED, IT’S GOING ON MY BEST OF 2025 LIST!
You can read the first two chapters here!
Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Published on: 19th August 2025
Goodreads
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From New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-winning author T. Kingfisher comes Hemlock & Silver, a dark reimagining of “Snow White” steeped in poison, intrigue, and treason of the most magical kind.
Healer Anja regularly drinks poison.
Not to die, but to save—seeking cures for those everyone else has given up on.
But a summons from the King interrupts her quiet, herb-obsessed life. His daughter, Snow, is dying, and he hopes Anja’s unorthodox methods can save her.
Aided by a taciturn guard, a narcissistic cat, and a passion for the scientific method, Anja rushes to treat Snow, but nothing seems to work. That is, until she finds a secret world, hidden inside a magic mirror. This dark realm may hold the key to what is making Snow sick.
Or it might be the thing that kills them all.
Kingfisher is one of my favourite authors and I am HYPED for a character who is Very Intense about the scientific method!
You can read an excerpt here (where it says Read Excerpt beneath the book cover)!
The Possession of Alba Díaz by Isabel Cañas Genres: Adult, Horror
Representation: Mexican setting and cast
Published on: 19th August 2025
Goodreads
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When a demonic presence awakens deep in a Mexican silver mine, the young woman it seizes must turn to the one man she shouldn’t trust… from bestselling author Isabel Cañas.
In 1765, plague sweeps through Zacatecas. Alba flees with her wealthy merchant parents and fiancé, Carlos, to his family’s isolated mine for refuge. But safety proves fleeting as other dangers soon bare their teeth: Alba begins suffering from strange hallucinations, sleepwalking, and violent convulsions. She senses something cold lurking beneath her skin. Something angry. Something wrong.
Elías, haunted by a troubled past, came to the New World to make his fortune and escape his family’s legacy of greed. Alba, as his cousin’s betrothed, is none of his business. Which is of course why he can’t help but notice her every time she enters a room or the growing tension between them… and why he notices her deteriorate when the demon’s thirst for blood grows stronger.
I’ve been seeing a lot of love for this, and for this author! Not my usual kind of read, but I may have to give it a try!
You can read an excerpt here!
The Last Soul Among Wolves (The Echo Archives #2) by Melissa Caruso Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: F/F
Published on: 19th August 2025
Goodreads
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The Last Soul Among Wolves is the brilliant second installment in Melissa Caruso's Echo Archives series, a whip-smart adventure fantasy featuring cursed relics, sapphic romance, and a magical murder mystery.
All Kembral Thorne wants is to finish her maternity leave in peace. But when her best friend asks for help, she can’t say no, even if it means a visit to a run-down mansion on an isolated island for a will reading. She arrives to find an unexpected reunion of her childhood friends—plus her once-rival, now-girlfriend Rika Nonesuch, there on a mysterious job. Then the will is read, and everything goes sideways.
Eight potential heirs, half of them Kem’s oldest friends.
Three cursed relics.
The rules: one by one, the heirs will die.
The prize for the lone survivor: A wish. And wishes are always bad business.
To save their friends, Kem and Rika must race against the clock and descend into other realities once more. But the mansion is full of old secrets and new schemes, and soon the game becomes far more dangerous—and more personal—than they could have imagined.
Working hard to not read the synopsis since I don’t want any spoilers, but – new Melissa Caruso!
You can listen to an excerpt of the audiobook here!
The Seven Miracles of Beatrix Holland by Rachael Herron Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC
Published on: 19th August 2025
Goodreads
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Most visitors to Skerry Island see only its lush greenery, picturesque cemetery, and quaint downtown. Yet generations of local women know that on Skerry, their benevolent witchcraft is at its most powerful.
Beatrice Barnard doesn't believe in magic. She definitely doesn't believe the predictions of the celebrity psychic who claims that she will experience seven miracles and soon after she will die. When she discovers her husband is cheating on her, Bea flees to Skerry Island, off the Pacific Northwest coast, in desperate need of solitude—taking her husband's birthday vacation by herself. Immediately upon arrival, she finds her life on the line as a rogue woodchopper blade almost kills her. Her survival feels like a miracle.
And then things get more miraculous when she discovers her twin sister, Cordelia, whom she never knew about, and her mother Astrid, who supposedly died when Beatrice was two years old. Astrid and Cordelia reveal that Beatrice (given name Beatrix) is an immensely powerful witch who can commune with the dead, like all the local Holland family witches. When their twin magic is joined, it shines like a beacon to the Velamen family, whose malevolent spirits are locked in an age-old struggle for magical dominance over the Hollands.
Beatrice doesn't know what to believe, but she begins to fear that the seven predicted miracles may occur, and that her imminent death will rip her away from her rediscovered family. Beatrice resolves to learn everything she can about her own power, in the hope of saving herself. But when her niece, Minna, goes missing, Bea's own life suddenly seems much less important. Beatrice must join her mother and her sister to save Minna even if she dies in the process.
I doubt this one’s going to be for me, but I wanted to include it in case it catches someone else’s interest.
You can listen to an excerpt of the audiobook here!
Starship Librarians by Shannon Allen, JR Campbell Genres: Adult, Sci Fi
Published on: 19th August 2025
Goodreads
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No starship crew is complete without a Librarian!
The glasses, the bun, the woolly sweater, the "shush" capable of reducing grown people to tears--we all know what the Librarians of the past looked like. But what about the Librarians of tomorrow? They're in spacesuits and uniforms because they're not getting left behind. Humanity needs them still. Always.
Whether essential crew in the grand exploration of the space, defenders of knowledge in bleak radioactive tomorrows, or idealists in the halls of Neo-Alexandria, the librarians of tomorrow are here to serve.
With stories Shannon Allen; Mackensie Baker; J R Campbell; C. B. Hingston; Robert Lauderdale; Trisha Jenn Loehr; Lesley Moody; Donna J. W. Munro; Nico Martinez Nocito; Aggie Novak; R. Overwater; Rhonda Parrish & E.C. Bell; Kara Race-Moore; Jennifer Rahn; J.W. Schnarr; Lisa Timpf; Liz Westbrook-Trenholm; C.N. Wheaton; and Kayla Whittle, with a special Librarian's Note from Sephora Henderson.
Excuse me, I ADORE the idea of zooming in on the librarians of spaceships!!! Suspect I’m gonna devour this one!
Dot Slash Magic by Liz Shipton Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy
Published on: 19th August 2025
Goodreads
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A new, spicy urban fantasy from TikTokker Liz Shipton, perfect for fans of I am Number Fourand Zodiac Academy.
What if you wrote a magic computer program? What if that magic computer program started summoning monsters?
When twenty-something coder Seven Jones goes back to school at a community college in San Diego, the last thing she wants is to join some stupid club. And the last thing she expects is to walk into an underground magic club. Like, actual wizards and shit.
Seven reluctantly joins the motley crew of magic weirdos and discovers her own power. But she struggles to control it…until she figures out how to channel her magic through an artificially intelligent computer program.
Unfortunately, there is literally nothing Seven’s new friends hate more than AI, and when a student mysteriously turns up dead, blame falls on Seven. Is her “creepy artificial magic” summoning terrifying creatures to hunt students? Or is someone trying to frame her?
With only one person – cute ex-Navy seal Logan – on her side, Seven fights monsters (Dragon? Check. Kraken? Check) while struggling to convince everyone that her AI has nothing to do with them.
But how can she convince her peers when she isn’t totally convinced herself?
I’ve heard good things about this, and I’m really hoping for a cool take on magic and tech playing together!
You can read an excerpt here!
Eternity's Blade by William Collis Genres: Adult, Fantasy, High Fantasy
Representation: East Asian-inspired worldbuilding
Published on: 19th August 2025
Goodreads
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With echoes of Mistborn and She Who Became the Sun, Eternity’s Blade is an action-packed fantasy debut chronicling an assassin’s rise to power in a world of immortals.
In the secluded paradise of the Valley, life is eternal. Guarded by unbreachable mists and ruled by a reclusive Emperor, this floating world of salt and lilies brims with beauty, ritual, and endless rebirth.
And then prince Soh’shoro discovers his power to kill.
Stolen from the courts, trained in martial and magical arts by enigmatic warrior monks, Soh’shoro is reborn as an assassin, ready to defend against the mythical Outside. But echoes of his lost mother and the ethereal allure of a doomed princess lead him on a path to discover the Valley’s dark secrets …
Now, as war dawns, Soh’shoro must Is paradise worth protecting? Or must Eternity itself be ended once and for all?
I wasn’t sure what the mc’s ‘ability to kill’ meant, but apparently people don’t typically die in this setting! They’re transferred into infant bodies after exiting adult ones. So maybe the mc has the power to permanently kill people, which is not normal in his world? Interesting!
The Blade that Binds Us by Leah Thomas, Kali Wallace Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists, YA
Representation: M/M
Published on: 19th August 2025
Goodreads
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From beloved authors Leah Thomas and Kali Wallace comes a sweeping dark queer YA romantasy, inspired by Icelandic folklore, about a witch and shepherd boy who find love in the darkest of places.
Hrafn has seen too much.
He welcomes death as the flames lick at the staves carved into his skin.
Until a stranger pulls him out.
Siggi has never left his village.
He longs to go in search of his missing brother.
Perhaps that's why he pulls the witch boy from the fire.
Bound by a blade of bone and indebted to the village boy, Hrafn agrees to use his powerful magic to help the oaf who saved him from the pyre. Across (and sometimes under) a rugged and unforgiving landscape, the unlikely pair will travel in search of answers, crossing paths with druids, darkwolves, and the dreaded Huldu.
But when the deceptions of the past are peeled away, Siggi and Hrafn will come face to face with their true natures.
When the cost of magic is pain and family ties run bone deep, can an unlikely love blossom in a dark and dangerous world?
"...readers drawn to folklore-laced fantasy and hard-won romance with sharp banter will find much to savor here. A dark, haunting fantasy in which magic binds hearts as tightly as it binds fates."
- Kirkus Reviews
"A swoon-worthy romance-fueled by dangerous magic and set against an eerie and evocative landscape-makes this a wild and heart-pounding adventure you'll never forget."
- Caleb Roehrig, author of Teach the Torches to Burn
"A dark, bewitching tale of love, loss, and healing. Wallace and Thomas weave together rich folklore, skin-crawling horror, and tender moments in this beautiful tapestry of a book."
- Kelsea Yu, Shirley Jackson Award-nominated author of Bound Feet and Demon Song
“A perfect fantasy for the dark at heart and an achingly beautiful queer romance that cuts to the bone (quite literally). A must read!”
- Kit Vincent, author of Love Eternal and Us Et Cetera
"The Blade That Binds Us is a captivating and dark fantasy unlike anything I’ve ever read. Thomas and Wallace deftly wove a haunting story of blood and bone with a bittersweet romance that will linger in my memory for years to come."
- Audrey Coulthurst author of Of Fire and Stars
Tiny Ghost Press publishes queer sff with outside-the-box premises, so of course I’m paying attention to their newest release! I know next to nothing about Icelandic mythologies, so it’ll all be new to me!
Will you be reading any of these? Did I miss any releases you think I should know about? Let me know!
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