It Was the Best of Times, It Was the First of Times: 5 Exciting SFF Debut Novels Coming in 2026!

3 weeks ago 14

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Liberty Hardy is an unrepentant velocireader, writer, bitey mad lady, and tattoo canvas. Turn-ons include books, books and books. Her favorite exclamation is “Holy cats!” Liberty reads more than should be legal, sleeps very little, frequently writes on her belly with Sharpie markers, and when she dies, she’s leaving her body to library science. Until then, she lives with her three cats, Millay, Farrokh, and Zevon, in Maine. She is also right behind you. Just kidding! She’s too busy reading. Twitter: @MissLiberty

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I have never been able to choose a favorite reading season, but I do have a favorite time of year to get ready for books, and that’s now! I love the last six weeks of the year, as I am completing my reading journals and spreadsheets, finishing up reading goals, and getting my TBR and new journals ready for the new year. (It involves buying new pens and a lot of stickers.)

I spend a lot of time learning about upcoming books, and I look through catalogs, industry news, and publisher sites daily. I love reading about a book that sounds great and then sharing that news through my work and adding it to my own TBR. My brain craves book content 24/7! That is how I have been able to already give you not one but two posts about exciting SFF books coming in 2026.

And now, here is a third! This one is about debuts, specifically. Below you’ll find five novels that sound awesome, so you can add them to your TBR, too! Now, let’s meet today’s contestants.

All Access members, read on for five of the most exciting SFF debut novels coming out in 2026.

The Forest on the Edge of Time by Jasmin Kirkbride (Tor Books, February 3, 2026)

This one sounds bananapants, in the best way! In order to save humanity from an ecological disaster, the enigmatic Project Kairos sends two people through time. Echo ends up in Ancient Athens, while Hazel ends up in the future, the last person left on Earth. Both women have no memory of who they were, except when they sleep, they meet in their dreams, and start to work out the dangers of their operation.

The Killing Spell by Shay Kauwe (S&S/Saga, April 14, 2026)

In this urban fantasy, after a disastrous flood two centuries ago destroyed the Hawaiian islands, the five clans were forced to relocate to outer Los Angeles. The flooding also released magic upon the world. The five clans have since existed in their new homeland through a treaty with the city, which is set to expire. But when a prominent activist is killed with illegal magic that could have only come from one of the clans, it puts the possibility of a new treaty and a peaceful existence into jeopardy.

The Divine Gardener’s Handbook: Or What to Do If Your Girlfriend Accidentally Turns Off the Sun by Eli Snow (Saturday Books, August 18, 2026)

I picked this one up because it also sounded bananapants, and I was correct! It’s a wildly inventive, queer sci-fi about two rival underground gardeners competing in the annual flower pageant. Fighting, backstabbing, and cheating are not off the table, but Purcell and Cyprin will have to put their animosity towards one another aside when they uncover a plot to destroy God, who hangs out at the gardens.

The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan (Tor Books, February 24, 2026)

Alix E. Harrow pitched this novel at an event as “Venom in 18th-century France.” How can we say no to that??! Incorporating the myth of the Beast of Gévaudan, it’s about Professor Sebastian Grave, a monster hunter whose attempt to stop the Beast years earlier almost cost him his life. But Sebastian isn’t alone in his fights—there’s a demon named Sarmodel living inside him. And with news that the Beast has returned, maybe this time around, he will succeed…if Sarmodel doesn’t get him into trouble first.

Deathbringer by Sonia Tagliareni (Atria Books, May 12, 2026)

And to end, a dark academia romantasy! Viola has the ability to speak to the dead, but she doesn’t fully understand her magic, and it results in the death of her sister, Olivia. Determined to control her ability before it kills her too, Viola attends the Gorhail Institute of Magic, where she runs afoul of Sylas, a poison mage who hates death mages. But when their fellow students start to die, they must team up to find the killer. (Plus, you know, kissing parts.)

Okay, star bits, now take the knowledge you have learned here today and use it for good, not evil. If you want to know more about books, I talk about books pretty much nonstop (when I’m not reading them), and you can hear me say lots of adjectives about them on the BR podcast All the Books! and on Instagram.