This summer has been sizzling hot for upcoming romantasy books in 2026! And if you’re looking for a list of the most anticipated romantasy books coming out in Fall 2026, you’ve come to exactly the right place! In preparation for launching What God Has Ordained, our first upcoming romantasy novel in The Legacy of Chandar series, I wanted to take a look at the most-talked-about romantasy books around the web in a genre that has grown exponentially in the last decade.
The genre’s meteoric rise has been fueled by a perfect storm of factors. In fact, it has been so profitable that even traditional publishing houses have bought in, and in a big way. As a genre, romantasy can offer readers an escape into immersive worlds while also addressing themes of identity, personal empowerment, and love. In uncertain times, as these are, romantasy novels provide comfort and inspiration, making them particularly appealing to a broad audience. The readership range, especially for indie romantasy, has expanded from women aged 35-54 in 2013, to 18-54 today. That is incredible growth!
Romantasy is not just a trend; it is reshaping the publishing landscape, with many titles becoming bestsellers and driving profits for indie authors and traditional publishers alike. The Guardian says that fantasy romance book sales have gone up by an estimated 40% year-over-year. And according to Bloomberg, there are no signs of that slowing down. Bloomberg estimates that in 2024, Romantasy books achieved $610 million in sales, up from $454 million in 2023!
But if you reached this point and are asking “what is romantasy, anyway?” then let me fill you in. The most obvious explanation is also the most complete: romantasy is a combination of “romance” and “fantasy.” As such, it’s a subgenre which uses romantic relationships, not to mention their emotional pay-offs, as the central plot in a fantasy setting. It’s similar to “epic fantasy romance,” which includes elements and themes that broaden the significance of the love story into “a love that can affect the fate of nations, or even worlds.” And is it ever HOT right now! That mix of “fantasy” and “romance” catalyzes both genres, offering readers an escape into immersive worlds with powerful heroines and emotionally resonant love stories.
So, without further ado, here’s what’s still ahead for romantasy releases this fall, 2026 — and how a few of our earlier picks actually turned out.
Still Ahead in 2026
The Knave and the Moon by Rachel Gillig
The final installment in The Stonewater Kingdom duology, following the #1 New York Times bestseller The Knight and the Moth. Ava Reid called the series “a dazzlingly transportive tale of love, salvation, and freedom,” and Tasha Suri praised it as “that rare fantasy gem: both a thrilling quest and an exquisite love story.” This one picks up with Aisling Cathedral in ruins and the king freshly married to Sybil Delling — who’s determined to bring him down, with unexpected help from a knave with no name and no memory. Release date: September 1, 2026.
Threshing Day by Rebecca Yarros
Not Book Four — this is a companion collection of thirteen short stories set on Basgiath’s dragon-bonding day, told from the perspectives of fan-favorite characters (Xaden included), and released as a lushly illustrated deluxe edition with silver-gilded pages. For the enormous Fourth Wing readership still waiting on the real sequel to Onyx Storm, this is at least confirmation the Empyrean world isn’t going quiet in the meantime. Release date: September 29, 2026.
The Mirror of Infinite Endings by Stephanie Garber
A Jacks and Evangeline novella returning to the world of Once Upon a Broken Heart — longer than Garber’s earlier Caraval novella Spectacular, and illustrated with more than twenty full-page pieces. Jacks and Evangeline have already found their happily ever after in the Hollow, but one secret is about to test whether “ever after” really means forever. Release date: September 29, 2026.
Fae & Alchemy Book 3 by Callie Hart
The as-yet-untitled conclusion to Callie Hart’s Fae & Alchemy trilogy, wrapping up Saeris and Fisher’s story after Quicksilver and Brimstone. “The rules have all been broken. Everything has changed,” the publisher’s copy teases — can these two god-bound warriors save their kingdom, or is it already too late? Given how beloved the first two books are, expect this to be one of the most-preordered romantasy titles of the back half of the year. Release date: November 10, 2026.
ACOTAR Books 6, 7 & 8 by Sarah J. Maas
No list would be complete without a mention, at least, of the romantasy blockbuster series in the room. NEW: A Court of Splintered Harmony / A Court of Forgotten Melody (ACOTAR Books 6, 7 & 8) When Sarah J. Maas announced on the Call Her Daddy podcast in March 2026 that her next ACOTAR book had grown into three volumes, the fandom collectively lost its mind. Now we have covers, titles, and official descriptions — and a very satisfying sub-series name to go with them: The Valkyrie Cycle.
A Court of Splintered Harmony (The Valkyrie Cycle: Movement I) arrives October 27, 2026. The official description promises a Prythian still fractured in the wake of the Hybern War, and the Night Court’s Inner Circle dealing with “recent betrayals and revealed truths” that have left rifts that seem insurmountable. Tagline: What was broken will be remade.
Following on January 12, 2027: A Court of Forgotten Melody (The Valkyrie Cycle: Movements II & III) — which notably covers two movements in a single volume, meaning the original 3-book plan arrives as two books. This one finds the Night Court’s Inner Circle scattered across the continent, alliances crumbling faster than diplomacy can repair them, and old enemies emerging “from nightmares of the past.” Tagline: What was lost will be reclaimed.
Still quite a ride left to go for romantasy releases in 2026! If you weren’t already clearing your November calendar, get after it!
Already Out — Did They Deliver?
The Last Thorn by Talia Hibbert
Talia Hibbert’s fantasy debut sparked a fifteen-publisher bidding war before Tor UK won it — that’s how much buzz a beloved romance author crossing into romantasy generates. The Last Thorn is a spicy Beauty and the Beast retelling set in Albion, an alternate post-civil-war Britain with a secret society of magic users, where a cursed hero must soul-bond with his enemy’s exiled daughter or lose himself to the monster inside him. Book Riot called it the return readers have been waiting five years for. Released Summer 2026.
The Lion and the Deathless Dark by Carissa Broadbent
Book five in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, and the start of a new duet. Ten years into a war between humans and vampires, bounty hunter Kyrene strikes a deal with vampire prince Septimus to help her take on the gods themselves. Early reviewers called the pairing one of the series’ best yet — “emotionally relentless,” one 4.25-star review called it, praising the constant momentum and a romance that builds gradually under real pressure. Released August 24, 2026.
A Forsaken Prophecy by Stacey McEwan
The sequel to NYT bestseller A Forbidden Alchemy — and by most accounts the stronger book. Reviewers say Alchemy walked so Prophecy could fly, with the world, story, and characters finally coming fully into their own. Patrick, the last Alchemist, and Nina, the earth Charmer, navigate betrayal and war between the Artisans and Craftsmen in a world of high-class magic and gangster grit. Pacing that reviewers call relentless in the best way — though the ending’s already been flagged as one that’ll frustrate anyone who hates waiting for book three. Released July 2026.
The Raven at the Ash Door by K.A. Linde
The third book in the Oak & Holly Cycle series. Kierse McKenna battles an unbreakable curse binding her to a man she hates, seeking freedom with the relentless help of Graves, her winter god. K.A. Linde wraps up the Oak & Holly Cycle’s third installment with — per Goodreads’ 1,700+ ratings (4.20 average) — “a rollercoaster of emotions”: action, curses, monsters, heists, and what one reviewer called the best group chat in the genre. Kierse McKenna finally lets her found family in, and the ending’s cliffhanger has readers reaching for both swear words and book four. Released June 16, 2026.
In the Wake of the Ruined by Kalie Cassidy
#1 NYT bestseller Kerri Maniscalco called it “dark, addictive, and brimming with romantic tension,” and Cassidy “a fierce new voice in the genre.” Siren queen Imogen keeps confronting new monsters while wrestling with her bond to King Theodore, and reviewers are calling the sequel darker, sharper, and more character-driven than book one. Released July 7, 2026.
Why 2026 Is (Still) a Great Year for Romantasy Readers
When I initially wrote this, I sized up 2026 as the best year for romantasy yet, and for Autumn 2026 I don’t see any reason to change that. There are still several major releases ahead this fall (including ours!), plus a run of earlier 2026 titles that mostly lived up to the hype, full of magic, monsters, and mayhem. From what I’ve read so far, this year’s selection of romantasy features powerful, relatable heroines, strange yet captivating storylines, and relationships that put the fate of entire worlds at risk. What’s not to love?
What do YOU think of this year’s new romantasy releases? I would purely love to get into a convo with you about them in the comments!
While you’re waiting for these titles to be published, you can read the ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of What God Has Ordained, the first book in The Legacy of Chandar series, absolutely free! Download it from BookFunnel today!
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In a way, I like the re-branding of both the Romance and Fantasy genres into Romantasy. Having been a voracious reader from a very young age, I know that most Fantasy can also be dove-tailed into Romance if you expand the definition of what is romantic. Most people romanticize the Old West or the Gangster era of 1930s America.
The blending of the two genres serves to bring both into the light, which is a good thing. I will definitely have to start looking at authors who are new to me (all on this list, for example) and see about diving back into my old reading habits. 🙂
I wish the term “romantasy” had been in more common use when Michael and I wrote the Raven & Iris books in 2013 – 2015. I remember how we struggled to fit them into the pre-existing categories of either romance or fantasy. And I remember the anxiety that caused, because no matter which we chose, it never seemed “right.”
Fortunately, things change. 😄 As a romantasy author, I’m looking forward to expanding my reading into the genre a bit more widely. I’m thinking “The Lion and the Deathless Dark” may well be my next read. The third Fae & Alchemy book looks tasty too, but I’m not sure where I’d find time to read the first two.
How about you? What’s intriguing you in that list?