10 New Release Fantasy Books to Add to Your TBR in May 2026!
10 new release fantasy books For May!
Lots of amazing new fantasy books out in May! If you loved When the Moon Hatched, you’ll want to check out the sequel, The Ballad of Falling Dragons.
New releases I’m most looking forward to this month are Declivity by Seeley Lynde and Strange Familiars by Keshe Chow.
Hope you find something new to add to your TBR this month. Happy reading!
Other posts you might like:
*This post contains affiliate links to products I recommend. If you make a purchase through these links I will receive a small commission at no cost to you.
May 1st
A Sea Change (The Shadowhunter Chronicles #21.5) by Cassandra Clare
Fantasy | Young Adult | Novella | Paranormal | Murder Mystery | Paranormal
Embark on a seafaring murder mystery from Greece to Constantinople with Matthew Fairchild, his loyal dog Oscar Wilde, and Sylvain Verlac, a captivating Parisian Shadowhunter.
Most travellers are running from—or searching for—something. But not Shadowhunter Matthew Fairchild and his loyal golden retriever, Oscar Wilde. No. Matthew is searching for himself aboard the Majestic, a grand 19th century ocean liner sailing from Greece to Constantinople.
Matthew wants nothing more than to mourn the death of a friend and peacefully enjoy his travels before reuniting with his friends James Herondale and Cordelia Carstairs at the London Institute of Shadowhunters—a secret society of angel-blooded humans who protect the mundane world from demons and Downworlders. But that’s interrupted when someone is murdered on the ship—and a vampire Downworlder lurks in the darkness.
Together with Sylvain Verlac, a mysterious and captivating Parisian Shadowhunter with a secret grief of his own, Matthew must find the murderer on the Majestic before death strikes again.
May 5th
2. The Girl with a Thousand Faces by Sunyi Dean
Fantasy | Adult | Horror | Gothic | Historical Fiction | Ghosts
From the USA Today bestselling author of The Book Eaters comes The Girl with a Thousand Faces, a Gothic tale set in a historical Hong Kong that meshes ancient myths and local legends into a haunting story of ghosts, grief, and women who will not forgive.
When Mercy Chan washed up on the shores of Hong Kong with no family, no money, and no memories, she was thrust into the horrors of World War II. She only survived by hiding in Kowloon Walled City, an infamous, ghost-infested slum full of lost and traumatized civilians. Since the end of the war, she has rebuilt her life and found work with the local triad as a ghost-talker, dealing with the angry and bitter spirits who haunt this place. These days, the filthy gutters and cramped alleyways of Kowloon feel like home.
But the past she can’t remember won’t let her go. An unusually powerful ghost has infested Kowloon’s waterways, drowning innocents and threatening the district. Unnervingly, it claims to know Mercy―and her forgotten childhood. As Mercy is drawn into a deadly cat-and-mouse game with this malignant spirit, she begins to realize that the monster she fights within these walls may well be one of her own making.
33 years before, mere days ahead of the Japanese invasion, Sung Siu Yin and her mother flee Hong Kong, intending to hide out on her mother's ancestral island home. It’s beautiful, tranquil, and remote. . . but also inhabited by ghosts ever since the entire village drowned in a storm many years ago. Still, it’s better than living under occupation.
But as the war drags on and isolation sets in, Siu Yin is increasingly drawn into the island's grim past―a past that may still have a hold on the present. There is a darkness lurking beneath that idyllic ocean, and it has been waiting many years for someone to return.
"The Girl With a Thousand Faces confirms Sunyi Dean as one of the most interesting voices in genre fiction.”―Gareth Brown, USA Today bestselling author of The Book of Doors
3. Fury Bound (The Wolves of Ruin #2) by Sable Sorensen
Fantasy | Adult | Romantasy | Wolves | Vampires | Magic
Revenge demands sacrifice. Don’t miss this action-packed, jaw-dropping, dark and romantic sequel to Dire Bound.
CROWNED BY DESTINY. CONSUMED BY VENGEANCE.
Against all odds, Meryn Cooper has inherited the crown—and a deadly war. As the Kingdom of Nocturna splinters under the weight of generations of lies, it is up to Meryn, her bonded direwolf Anassa, and their allies to bring the country back from the brink.
But the commoners, the Bonded, and the nobles are distrustful of their new queen and Meryn is caught in a deadly game of politics. Meanwhile, Meryn’s beloved younger sister, Saela, is more at risk than ever.
Confusingly, the one person Meryn can trust is Stark Therion—the dark, dangerous Alpha she thought hated her as much as she loathed him. Yet, his loyalty is unshakeable. His presence is intoxicating. And with his guidance, Meryn can seize an unthinkable level of power.
With enemies closing in and shadows stirring in her dreams, Meryn stands to lose her kingdom—and her heart.
Blood will spill. Bonds will break. Fate will be tested.
Read Book #1- Dire Bound
May12th
4.Beneath the Burning Throne by Robyn Jones
Fantasy | Adult | Romantasy | High Fantasy | Magic
A duty-bound prince of flame. A woman shrouded in secrets. And an enemy, deep in the shadows…
When a dark prophecy is stolen from the impenetrable Royal Archives of Emberlyn, Owen Sterling—Prince and Commander of the Ignis Guard—is dispatched with his team to retrieve it. They soon discover the thief is an Obscurem, one of the vicious shadow beasts that have plagued the kingdom for centuries. But how could a creature with such mindless, violent instincts breach their wards?
As they hunt the beast, Owen and his guard stumble upon a woman, battered and left for dead in the wake of an Obscurem attack. She’s secretive and scared, with a sharp tongue, and Owen finds himself drawn to her despite his better judgement.
But as the trail to their prey becomes ever more treacherous, they realize that the growing number of Obscurem crossing the Dark Border may not be the only threat to the kingdom…
Beneath the Burning Throne is the first book in the Kingdom of Shadows romantasy series.
5. Seek the Traitor's Son (The Burning Empire #1) by Veronica Roth
Fantasy | Adult | Dystopian | Romantasy | Science-Fiction
A new epic romantic, dystopian fantasy begins in Seek the Traitor's Son, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth
Elegy Ahn did not ask for destiny to find her.
She is happy with her life as a soldier, defending her small country from the Talusar, a powerful nation who worships a deadly Fever. A fever that blesses half of its victims with mysterious gifts.
But then she’s summoned to hear a prophecy–her, and the most ruthless of Talusar generals, Rava Vidar. Brought face to face, they learn that one of them will lead their people to victory over the other…but they don’t know which. And at the center of both of their fates: a man. A man that, Elegy is told, she will fall in love with.
In just one day, Elegy’s old life–her job, her purpose, and her future–is over. She and Rava are destined to collide, with the fate of their nations hanging in the balance. And when they do, only one will be left standing.
Elegy intends to make sure it’s her.
6. The Tapestry of Fate (Amina al-Sirafi #2) by Shannon Chakraborty
Fantasy | Adult | Pirates | Historical Fiction | Mythology | Adventure
New York Times bestselling author Shannon Chakraborty sets sail into the second adventure of pirate Amina al-Sirafi as her quest to track down magical artifacts brings her to the island lair of a sorceress whose woven enchantments are impossible to flee.
Amina al-Sirafi thinks she’s struck gold. Tasked with hunting down arcane artifacts for the council of immortal peris, she can savor the occasional rollicking adventure on the high seas with her cherished criminal companions while still returning home to raise her beloved daughter, Marjana. But when Raksh, the spirit of discord with whom she is reluctantly wed, provokes the council’s wrath, Amina is charged with a seemingly impossible quest: steal a spindle capable of rewriting fate from a mysterious sorceress on an island no one can escape.
Forced to leave Marjana—who is increasingly frustrated at being peddled what are clearly lies about her mother’s life and her own past—Amina finds her mission almost immediately thrown into peril. But deadly storms, an erratic poison mistress, and old enemies are the least of her worries. For the peris’ story is unraveling, hinting at a far deadlier game whose rules Amina must swiftly puzzle out. A game that sets her against an adversary more cunning and powerful than she has ever faced.
A game that not everyone on her crew wants her to win.
Read Book #1- The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi
May 15th
7. Strange Familiars (The Seamere College Duology #1) by Keshe Chow
Fantasy | Adult | Dark Academia | Romantasy | Magic | Fantasy Academia
All's fair in love and magic.
Gwendolynne Chan just needs to get through her final year. At Seamere College of Magical Veterinary Sciences, she spends her days using her powers to heal companion animals while her nights are spent studying for exams. As the top student in the magical familiars stream, she is on track to be awarded Dux of the entire school - as long as the pretentious twat Harrisford Briggs doesn't beat her to it.
Harrisford Briggs was born into privilege. His father, the Chief Financial Officer of Magecorp, a major global distributor of magic, expects him to come top of the year. Harrisford, though, can't help but notice that his father has been acting odd. Really odd. And there are strange whisperings, too. Rumours of uncontrollable surges of excess magic, which Magecorp has been trying to cover up, as well as rampant corruption within the Magical Ministry itself.
When these magical surges begin to rock their way through London, causing chaos and explosions and familiars going feral, Gwen and Harrisford find themselves without a reliable source of magic, putting both of their academic careers at risk. To fix this, they must put aside their duelling feelings of lust and loathing, and - along with Gwen's snarky cat familiar - team up to diagnose the problem. If they fail, not only is their education at stake, but also the fate of the magical world.
May 19th
8. The Ballad of Falling Dragons (Moonfall #2) by Sarah A. Parker
Fantasy | Adult | Romantasy | Dragons | Fae
The Ballad of Falling Dragons is the much-anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestselling phenomenon When the Moon Hatched, featuring an immersive, vibrant world with mysterious creatures, a unique magic system, and a love that blazes through the ages.
“Moonbeam. A moonfall is coming.”
Raeve’s thirst for vengeance continues to burn, as does her love for Kaan Vaegor—a staunch beacon from a past she’s yet to face. With Rekk’s blood still fresh on her hands, she learns the world will face its most devastating moonfall yet, forcing her to pick a path:
Chase death.
Or life.
Desperate to save his kingdom from ruin, Kaan’s crown has never felt so heavy. His many larks to scattered friends and family remain unanswered, and time is running out.
As allies merge and enemies surge with bloodlusting agendas of their own, secrets brew hot enough to burn, but none so mighty as the truth nesting within the icy depths of Raeve’s long forgotten past.
Something … Other.
Something with the knowledge to change it all.
Read Book #1- When the Moon Hatched
9. Deathbringer (Deathbringer #1) by Sonia Tagliareni
Fantasy | Adult | Dark Academia | Romance | Mystery
For fans of Naomi Novik and Kerri Maniscalco, a dark academia romantasy steeped in necromancy, forbidden love, and a twisty murder mystery set within the perilous halls of a magical institute, as a death mage who hates her magic and a poison mage who hates her are forced to work together to stop a killer before one of them is next.
Born with the ability to speak with the dead, Viola hates her magic. It killed her sister, Olivia, and if she doesn’t learn why, it will kill her too. Her only hope lies within the perilous walls of Gorhail Institute of Magic, where Olivia spent her final days.
There, Viola clashes with Sylas, a poison mage whose magic stems from three magical snakes. Immortal, tormented, and reckless, Sylas is tethered to a life he never asked for and haunted by guilt for his father’s death. His hatred for death mages runs deep, and he’s determined to keep Viola at a distance. But when an attack forces him to heal her, their fates become intertwined by a magical bond that threatens to upend his loyalties—and his common sense.
As more students start turning up dead, Viola and Sylas are drawn into an uneasy alliance that pulls them deeper into Gorhail’s treacherous passageways, where secrets fester beneath the stone and the dead do not rest. And as enemy lines begin to blur and their undeniable attraction grows, Viola and Sylas uncover a chilling someone is hunting mages for their magical relics, and if they can’t uncover the killer in time, Viola will be next.
May 20th
10. Declivity by Seeley Lynde
Fantasy | Adult | Dystopian | Elemental Magic | Found Family
The mission is simple. Infiltrate the Elim stronghold. Ascertain the nature of the weapon being used to counteract the storm weaving that keeps us safe. Destroy it, if necessary.
Why is it always the simple mission that goes awry?
Seren Lyracha has never known life without war. For generations, the Elim have systematically annihilated the species of Lirael. Only the Undine have successfully held them back. Desperate to find a way to end the genocide of his people, Seren infiltrates the Elim stronghold to determine the nature of a new weapon that has obliterated the storms summoned to protect the Undine cities. Captured, he finds hope in the most unlikely of places; the enemy.
Cursed and weary of the aeons spent destroying civilisations, Atalya is discovering, one world at a time, that her people have fallen from grace. Sinking into a depressive fugue, she struggles to embrace her place and find peace among the warmongering Elim Host. The closer they come to eliminating the Undine, the deeper her disconnect.
Forced together in a desperate bid for freedom, Seren must convince Atalya that falling is sometimes the only way up; that good is not necessarily right, and that the evil they seek to destroy is perhaps their last bastion of hope.
It is only from the fathoms that one can rise. And sometimes it is violence that cuts us free from the lies that bind us.
A prince desperate to save his kingdom. An angel ready to fall.
Make sure you add the ones you like to your TBR pile! Which ones do you like the look of? Let me know in the comments☺️
