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Tag: sci-fi

February 2026: Most Anticipated Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and Horror Book Releases

Here are my most anticipated releases during February 2026, in no particular order!

The Age of Beasts #1

The Library of Amorlin Kalyn Josephson

448 pages • Fantasy

Edition Pub Date: 24 Feb 2026

Publisher: Erewhon Books

Cleopatra by Saara El-Arifi

384 pages • Historical Fantasy-Magical Realism

Edition Pub Date: 26 Feb 2026

Publisher: The Borough Press

Carnival Fantástico by Angela Montoya

394 pages •Fantasy – YA

Edition Pub Date: 03 Feb 2026

Publisher: Joy Revolution

Past me preordered this – would I make the same decision now? I’m not sure but I’ll definitely be writing a review on this site so stay tuned!

She Who Devours by Bea Bustamante

304 pages • Fantasy

Edition Pub Date: ??? – This one has been a bit elusive but I think it’s coming out in Feb.

Publisher: Penguin Randome House SEA

The Cosmic Wheel #1

The Iron Garden Sutra by A.D. Sui

384 pages • Science Fiction

Edition Pub Date: 24 Feb 2026

Publisher: Erewhon Books

The Gods Must Burn by T.R. Moore

386 pages • Fantasy

Edition Pub Date: 24 Feb 2026

Publisher: Solaris

Call of the Dragon by Natasha Bowen

368 pages • Fantasy – YA

Edition Pub Date: 10 Feb 2026

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers/Random House, Inc..

The Earthsalt Duology #1

Saltswept by Katalina Watt

320 pages • Fantasy

Edition Pub Date: 05 Feb 2026

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

A Forest, Darkly by A.G. Slatter

356 pages • Fantasy

Edition Pub Date: 10 Feb 2026

Publisher: Titan Books

The Forest on the Edge of Time by Jasmin Kirkbride

368 pages • Science Fiction

Edition Pub Date: 03 Feb 2026

Publisher: Tor Books

3* – This didn’t hit well for me but see my full review here! That doesn’t mean you won’t like it though, it’s an intriguing premise.

The Obake Code by Makana Yamamoto

336 pages • Science Fiction

Edition Pub Date: 17 Feb 2026

Publisher: Gollancz

4* – recommend! Especially if you like a queer normative mostly women from marginalized communities cast taking on rich evil men. rawr.

See my full review here.

She Made Herself a Monster by Anna Kovatcheva

288 pages • Historical Horror – Literary

Edition Pub Date: 10 Feb 2026

Publisher: Mariner Books

The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox by Katrina Kwan

320 pages • Fantasy – Adventure – Dark

Edition Pub Date: 24 Feb 2026

Publisher: Saga Press

A Day of Breath by Darby Cox

352 pages • Fantasy

Edition Pub Date: 10 Feb 2026

Publisher: Angry Robot

Weavingshaw by Heba Al-Wasity

464 pages • Fantasy

Edition Pub Date: 24 Feb 2026

Publisher: Del Rey

5* – LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH.

I have a full review here if you’d like to hear more but really trust me on this one! For anyone who likes a moody dark fantasy with ghosts and representation for refugees.

The People’s Library by Veronica G. Henry

303 pages • Sci-fi / Fantasy

Edition Pub Date: 03 Feb 2026

Publisher: 47North (Amazon unfortunately)

Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett

368 pages • Fantasy

Edition Pub Date: 17 Feb 2026

Publisher: Del Rey

Queen of Faces by Petra Lord

432 pages • Fantasy – LGBTQIAP+

Publisher: Henry Holt Books for Young Readers

Edition Pub Date: 03 Feb 2026

Ok there we go! Roll on February & Black History Month celebrations!

January 30, 2026
My Favorite Reads of 2025: Sci-Fi & Fantasy for Feminists
I finished 84 books in 2025! 54 authors who were new to me. I DNF’d 17 books. Most of the books were Fantasy. Here are my favorites:
- Dawn of the Firebird by Sarah Mughal Rana
  - A dark (aka violent, NOT romance) epic fantasy beginning with possibly the most insane stubborn hardcore main character…then by then end it had me literally sobbing…bring tissues. There’s no romance in here and I loved it. It was more about family and friends.
  - DEBUT – Book #1 of 3
  - Click here for my full eARC review.
- Seasons of Glass and Iron by Amal El-Mohtar [Pre-order for March 24, 2026]
  - A short story collection where I pretty much teared up for each one. These were so beautiful. Cannot recommend enough especially if you consider yourself a feminist.
  - Click here for my full eARC review.
- The Jasad Heir & The Jasad Crown by Sara Hashem
  - Completed Epic Fantasy Duology DEBUT!
  - While a lot of the time this book is talked about and marketed, it may seem like this book is only about two characters and their relationship, HOWEVER, it’s about so much more, politics, mystery, power, influence, family, generations, revenge, etc.
- Weavingshaw by Heba Al-Wasity [Pre-order for Feb 24, 2026]
  - Delicious dark fantasy DEBUT with a slow burn to top all slow burns…first in a duology or trilogy.
  - MC is a refugee and this book has a lot of commentary around being a refugee away from home and how they are treated and taken advantage of, this book gets really into the politics and economics and it’s so so good.
  - Click here for my full eARC review.
- Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
  - The one I didn’t think I’d like and now haven’t been able to stop thinking about it – mostly because of the ending.
  - Best banter award – sapphic necromacers in space, enough said…
- Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove
  - Darling of my year!!
  - Sentient spaceship AI and sapphics
  - Monsters and mystery and humor
- Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots
  - Superheros but behind the scenes
  - Plotting against the hero who’s the real douchbag!
- Interstellar Megachef by Lavanya Lakshminarayan
  - South Asian foodie tech planetary political drama
  - For the sci-fi loving queers and chefs
  - Click here for my full review.
- Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
  - Unshakable quest for vengeance
  - Extremely satisfying DEBUT
    
    If you hate the patriarchy and are out for blood, this is the book for you
  - Inspired by history
  - A true love triangle
- The Phoenix King by Aparna Verma
  - Sci-Fi/Fantasy DEBUT
  - Political intrigue, heir to leadership, desert kingdom
  - Slow-burn romance
That’s it! Quite a few of these were starts to series that are ongoing so stay tuned to see if book 2s are just as good or better or worse lol.

Disclaimer: This blog may earn a small bit if you click on the bookshop links and make a purchase! You’ll be fueling my writing and reading 🙂 so thank you if you do!
January 26, 2026
ARC Review: Intergalactic Feast by Lavanya Lakshminarayan

FEAST continues right where Interstellar MegaChef left off and pushes ahead further into the chaos of politics, food culture, protests, betrayals, and horniness – it’s a guaranteed Ur-drama!

If you haven’t read the first book in this series yet, check out my review of Interstellar MegaChef here.

One of the reasons I enjoyed Book #1 so much is one of the reasons I didn’t enjoy Book #2 as much. The book starts off with an extreme level of horniness from one of our leads, and it was too much for me. It was desperation which aligns well with their character but this isn’t something I like to read that’s constant in the book. I can see how some might find the characters a bit frustrating in this book with their decisions and actions, but again, these are characters and not everyone is every book is meant to be likeable – how boring would that be!

Other than that, this book delves further into the relationships established in the first book, featuring a lot of interpersonal drama. The heat intensifies from all directions, and it feels like Saraswati is in a pressure cooker!

I would recommend this for anyone looking for a Sci-Fi adventure with a queer-normative cast of main characters, an imaginative premise, and action/drama that doesn’t seem to let up from the start!

Thank you to Solaris for the eARC via NetGalley – all opinions are my own.

Pre-order Intergalactic Feast for March 10, 2025 – preferably direct from a local indie bookstore but there’s always bookshop.org here if you don’t have any indie shops near you!

About the Author

Lavanya Lakshminarayan is an award-winning author also known for The Ten Percent Thief (a dystopian sci-fi set in the future of Bangalore). She has also worked in game design building worlds for Zynga Inc.’s FarmVille franchise, Mafia Wars, and others.

About the Publisher

Solaris Books is an imprint of independent publisher Rebellion Publishing based in the UK.

December 18, 2025
Book Review: Interstellar MegaChef by Lavanya Lakshminarayan

One of the most exciting and imaginative sci-fi adventures I’ve read. Please, don’t read this on an empty stomach though…or at least have some snacks ready!

Saraswati Kaveri is a talented chef running away from something on Earth. Serenity Ko is trying to differentiate herself in the corporate world of tech simulations and immersive reality on the planet of Primus. A chance meeting kicks off a series of adventures involving an interstellar chef competition, found family, lots of drama, and a deep exploration into technology and food and what would it mean to integrate the two at the next level. And if it would even be ethical.

We get a serious look at ambition from both the perspective of those with ambition who see the allure of it but also those affected negatively by being close to a person with high ambition. This was one of my favorite pieces of commentary in the book. What is the cost of ambition? What is the cost of isolation as well? And if people stepped up and spoke to their friends about poor behavior, can people recognize it and change?

Additionally, the story dives into what it means to come to a new place as a refugee and exist as an other in a culture that isn’t yours, especially one that considers itself superior to all others in the galaxy and wants to enforce that superiority in all ways.

So, while the cover and synopsis may indicate to some that this book is all fun and no bite, that couldn’t be further from the truth. The author hits many concepts and themes that are quite serious and complex. The book is rich and has great depth to it and I found myself wanting even MORE.

Primus is a world that appears to be LGBTQIAP+ normative which is very welcomed!

The world-building is exquisite, pacing is even, and the layout of scenes and plot points is well-crafted. The author leaves little breadcrumbs and moments later draws up the curtains for the reveals and it’s delightful. The writing/editing is class. Character development is supreme and the mini romantic subplot feels genuine.

I was honestly salivating during several parts of this book, frequently debating whether or not to head straight over to the closest Indian restaurant I could find. It was delicious and I CANNOT WAIT to get started with the ARC of book #2 – Intergalactic Feast (March 2026).

BTW – there is an AUDIOBOOK version of this. Book #2 will have one as well.

About the Author

Lavanya Lakshminarayan is an award-winning author also known for The Ten Percent Thief (a dystopian sci-fi set in the future of Bangalore). She has also worked in game design building worlds for Zynga Inc.’s FarmVille franchise, Mafia Wars, and others.

About the Publisher

Solaris Books is an imprint of independent publisher Rebellion Publishing based in the UK.

December 18, 2025