12 Awesome New Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books of August 2026

Summer is still in full swing and it’s hot, but it’s not as hot as this month’s selection of new science fiction and fantasy books! Trust me, you’re going to look back on your August 2026 reading one day and say, “Wow, that was a good time!” What’s happening this month? Well, there’s the story of a young girl in a dungeon (as told by a talking skull); the brilliant third book in one of the best new speculative mystery series; a widow who must fight an empire when she wants to start a democracy on a new planet; a queen who hires a warrior bodyguard to protect her during peace negotiations; a young woman searching for the missing twin sister no one believes exists; a salt apocalypse spreads around the world; a young girl discovers a magical library; and much more. The Best New Science Fiction and Fantasy Books Out in August 2026 A Trade of Blood: An Ana and Din Mystery by Robert Jackson Bennett (Del Rey, August 4)You’ve probably already heard me say it: This is one of the best SFF books of the year. Each book in this series about an unusual detective duo is better than the last, and that’s saying something, because they’re all fantastic. But RJB has outdone himself with this one, a w...