2 New Fantasy Novels to Read Before the End of the Year

by MK French

We are in the final month of the year, and while things are starting to wind down, we still have a few new books to read. If you are looking to ring out the year with a little more fantasy, check out these two novels.

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Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher

December 2025; 47North; 978-1662525094
audio, ebook, print (271 pages); fantasy

Selena flees to Quartz Creek with her dog Copper to claim her aunt's home. As beautiful as it is, there's a presence lurking. Her neighbor says the desert gods and spirits are mostly benevolent, but Selena can't shake the prickly sense that one of them watches too closely and wants something from her. Selena finds journal entries that her aunt left behind, outlining an unfulfilled promise she made to an ancient god known simply as “Snake-Eater.” Snake-Eater has taken a liking to Selena, and now that she is the new owner of his home, he’s hell-bent on collecting everything he’s owed.

Selena left her partner behind and at the start is skittish, apologetic, and sure she does wrong due to years of him picking apart her behavior. She is shy and has scripts for situations, and intense worry when she doesn't have a script to rehearse. But the people accept her as she is, helping her unwind and grow into herself, which is beautiful to see. The oddities in the desert town are chalked up to spirits, smaller gods over wildlife or aspects of nature. She is sure that there's something wrong with her when she sees them, but it's simply another thing about Quartz Creek, which I love.

The reveal of Snake-Eater and what he wants is slow, as is the history behind her aunt's relationship, Grandma Billy, and Father Aguirre, Selena's two closest friends, and the ones who explain the spirit world. The second half of the book proceeds rapidly, and it truly is community and kindness that get her through. The finale is fitting, and had me cheering for her and the community. It is a very engaging and fun read.

Buy Snake-Eater at Amazon

The Last Vampire by Romina Garber

December 2025; Wednesday Books; 978-1250863911
audio, ebook, print (400 pages); YA fantasy

Austen-loving Lorena Navarro enrolls in a New Hampshire boarding school that is housed in an old Victorian mansion. Instead of finding Mr. Darcy, she awakens the world’s last vampire from nearly three hundred years of hibernation. William Pride relies on Lorena for blood and enrolls at the school to catch up on all he’s missed. When he discovers he's the last vampire, he must choose to help his kind return to power or protect humanity.

Lorena and her best friend, Salma, have enrolled in this inaugural class of seniors at this school, in part to avoid grief and difficulties with the outside world. She and another roommate don't like each other almost instantly, but the group of kids that band together in the beginning form a friend group that tries to investigate the off-limits areas of the mansion. It's in a hidden library that the coffin holding William is found, and Lorena becomes his unwitting familiar when he doesn't kill her right away while feeding. His world was one where vampires had been openly feeding and participating in life, with a particular group opposing them at every turn. This isn't the world Lorena and others grew up with, and he has a lot to adjust to.

The second half of the book involves a lot more questions and raised stakes regarding Lorena's safety. What she and William assumed was the reality of his hidden state is different from expected. There are more revelations along the way, not just for William but for Lorena and her friends. While Lorena keeps secrets to protect her friends and other students, he has choices to make as well. He doesn't think of himself as a leader, and we eventually know why he's so upset about being made a vampire so young, and the importance of the others around him. It all comes to a head at the end, and it's a bittersweet finale. It's not quite Romeo and Juliet or Pride and Prejudice, but somewhere in between. 

Buy The Last Vampire at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever.

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