3 New Romantic Fantasy Novels

by MK French

This month is full of fantasy new releases. I'm breaking them up by subgenres and starting with Romantic Fantasy or Romantasy. One was an okay read, but the other two were great. 

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Order of Royals by Jude Deveraux

January 2026; MIRA; 978-0778305798
audio, ebook, print (336 pages); romantic fantasy

Princess Aradella is controlled by her evil aunt, Queen Olina. Aradella has unexpected allies: Tanek, a swansman with mysterious connections, and Earthling Kaley Arens, who gets caught in the planet’s intricate social hierarchy. Aradella and her companions uncover secrets and hidden agendas at court, and the lines between magic and reality blur. Aradella falls for Tanek's son Mekos, and their bond can lead to magic of its own.

Order of Royals is the second book in the Blue Swans series. Because it's a planet where fairy tales are true, the characters are somewhat more one-dimensional. That made it difficult for me to get into the story and enjoy the book.

Olina is evil and selfish, with every evil stepmother trope at play, and Aradella's cousins are comically stupid. Kaley and Tanek are a couple, and are brought into Olina's machinations to have Aradella killed so she can remain queen. When this plan is foiled, Olina has others in play to embarrass and ultimately force Aradella into marriage with an awful man. It's one disaster after another, some mimicking fairy tales. Olina ultimately wants to remain queen and wants to keep the men and women separated forever. 

We have different POV chapters in the second half of the book, which offer different perspectives and information about what's happening on the planet and the plans in motion. The ending includes a lot of info dumping regarding plans and the history behind the planets, and the involvement with Earth. The finale plays out, and it felt pretty anticlimactic overall. 

Buy Order of Royals at Amazon

The Book of Blood and Roses by Annie Summerlee

January 2026; Del Rey; 978-0593975961
audio, ebook, print (368 pages); romantic fantasy

Vampire hunter Rebecca Charity came to Tynahine University to find The Book of Blood and Roses, a volume with ways to kill vampires. She plans to use those methods to avenge her parents, who had been killed by vampires. When she arrives in her dorm room, she discovers that her roommate, Aliz, is a vampire. Worse, when Aliz rescues her from a vampire attack, she accidentally turns Rebecca into her familiar. The two must work together to break that curse, which brings them even closer than before. Can a vampire hunter ever fall in love with a vampire?

This book immediately sucked me in: we start with Rebecca on a hunt, and see how she uses her rare, alluring blood to draw in and stake vampires. There are Heritage vampires who were born that way, and Converts, who were turned. The exclusive and expensive university had been home to vampire learning since the thirteenth century, and is now allowing select humans to attend. With a cover identity, Rebecca is searching for a book with secrets on vampire abilities, how to kill them, and possibly magic. It's a tall tale in the vampire world, though everyone is sure it exists in a hidden library on campus. Aliz has her own secrets, and of course, the two, as roommates, bristle and are irritated with each other. It's an additional layer adding to the enemies-to-lovers trope in the novel.

There are several revelations along the way, each making you question more and more what is actually happening. What does Callisto actually want? Who can be trusted? Did Aliz truly do it by accident? Along the way, Rebecca is taking classes to blend in, searching the tunnels for the book, and leaving campus to hunt down vampires in Inverness. The dangers increase, even though we know she is a good hunter. The story compelled me (haha) to keep continuing to the bloody end. Thankfully, the story will continue in another book, because I'd love to spend more time with Rebecca in this world.

Buy The Book of Blood and Roses at Amazon

Enchanting the Fae Queen by Stephanie Burgis

January 2026; Bramble; 978-1250359612
audio, ebook, print (304 pages); romantic fatn

Queen Lorelei is known as the fae queen who leaves broken hearts behind her, but this reputation hides an intelligent woman willing to do anything to keep her people safe, including kidnapping a famous hero. High General Gerard de Moireul represents everything moral and true, especially after his parents had been executed for treason. The last thing he needs is the glittery Queen of Balravia. They're complete opposites and get caught up in a deadly fae tournament. Now they must keep each other alive, and might be the perfect team in other ways as well.

Enchanting the Fae Queen is the next book of the Queens of Villainy series, but you don't have to read the first book, Wooing the Witch Queen, to understand this one:

 

The three queens of villainy are friends and allies against Otto II and the empire, and Gerard is the best general in his army. Otto wants to eliminate all fae and non-humans from the empire, and the first attempt (the first book) didn't work. Now that Lorelei kidnapped Gerard, he has an excuse to wage war. Lorelei has enemies herself; Oberon is the acting ruler in the fae realm and hates her enough to force her into the tournament to try to kill her. She is clever, and Gerard knows military strategy, so the two work together to win the challenges. Along the way, they get to know each other better, and we see how well they're matched. The challenges of the tournament play to their strengths and force them closer, which is great to read. It's a fun book, with an epilogue to set up another book for the series. I don't doubt it'll be just as good as this one. 

Buy Enchanting the Fae Queen 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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