2026 is already shaping up to be a busy and exciting year, and the world of books is no exception. From mystery to sci-fi, there’s a book for everyone that’s hitting the shelves this year.

The first two books of a new series by Vincent Ralph, author of 14 Ways to Die and Secrets Never Die, were released on January 20th. Dead Fake and Night Terror are both set in the town of Bleak Haven, but 40 years apart. These two YA horror books are set to be followed by Corpse Creek and Fear Farm later in the year, each book set in the same town but in a different decade.

Fans of fantasy need look no further than Roshani Chokshi’s recently published The Swan’s Daughter, an Ugly Duckling-inspired romantasy about a prince whose parents hold a tournament to determine his bride, with a twist: whoever marries him will kill him on his wedding night in order to claim the throne of the kingdom. Those who prefer less romance have Midnight on the Celestial by Julia Alexandra to look forward to, projected to hit shelves on March 3rd. The novel follows a magician, Roe Damarcus, who must serve a sentence aboard the mysterious Celestial, where staff members keep disappearing.

Finally, fall will see the release of the final installment in S. Jae-Jones’s Guardians of Dawn series, Suhwa. The series begins with Zhara, which was published in 2023, which introduces the Guardians of Dawn, a group dedicated to the liberation of magic, which is forbidden in their society. Readers still have time to catch up on the previous three books before the series is completed in August.

Of course, these are just a few of the many new books coming out in the next year. In a world of so much variety, there’s something for everyone!