3 Fantasy Novels to Read

by MK French

I started off the month with a list of fantasy novels for you to read. Today, I have 3 more fantasy novels for you to end your month.

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Entwined by H. M. Long

March 2026; Titan Books; 978-1835411384
audio, ebook, print (304 pages); historical fantasy

Ottilie Rushforth hides from the Sorcerer’s Guild as secretary to a has-been detective, hoping to escape with her estranged fiancé, the enigmatic poet, soldier, and smuggler Lewis Illing. She is Entwined, meaning magic is inside her, and the Guild would force her to serve them if they find her. While she plans to leave the city once she finds a particular artefact, her sisters have offers of their own. Pretoria is a sorceress and thief recently emerged from exile, and Madge is a guild mage. She will have to choose a new life at the cost of everything she has ever wanted, or prestige and safety in a gilded cage.

This is the first half of a duology, taking place in a gaslamp Art Nouveau-style world. Ottilie is posing as a secretary to hide, not wanting to fall in line with the Guild. Those who carry magic aren't considered human, and mobs frequently hang the mages they find. Asides in the text tell us about Entwined powers, and Ottilie outlines how the Guild matches the Entwined to have children, whom they eventually take and teach in their enclosed schools. Those who oppose the Guild are changed through the powers of other Guild members or killed. Ottilie and her older sisters were taken from their mother and taught Guild ways in such a manner, and this is part of the reason why she and her sister escaped. Ottilie just wants to get far away from their influence, but Pretoria is part of the Separatist movement. There's also a war going on, adding to the background tension of the book. Caught between her sisters' opposing ideals, Ottilie can no longer keep her head down and hide.

The larger concern about the Entwined and their gifts is posed, and Ottilie worries that either sister’s side will use the information badly. The Guild wants more Entwined of powerful types, which their breeding program is supposed to produce. Separatists don't want the Guild. The Zealots don't want Entwined at all, and artifacts from the ancient world could possibly explain the origin of the Entwined or how to erase that ability entirely. With riots throughout the city, Ottilie isn't sure who to trust. The allies she thought she had were few and far between, and the opposition has been several steps ahead of her the entire time.

The book moves through several questions, each answer making Ottilie and us doubt what we knew of any faction's motives. It is very well done, and I applauded Ottilie as she tried to figure out what was going on and escape from various traps. It's a wild ride, and I eagerly look forward to the second half of the duology. 

Buy Entwined at Amazon

Empire of Flame and Thorns by Marion Blackwood

March 2026; Scarlett Press; 979-8347115495
audio, ebook, print (336 pages); romantic fantasy

Trapped in the Seelie Court by a forest of thorns, Selena Hale enters the Atonement Trials to escape the dragon shifters. It's a deadly competition setting fae magic users against each other, and only three can win. Though Selena is determined to be one of the three, Draven Ryat, the ruthless commander of the dragon shifter army, is determined to make her lose. As a member of the fae rebellion, he's set to kill her. She's inexplicably drawn to him, which may ruin everything she hoped to achieve.

This is the first novel of the five-book series Flame and Thorns. It was first printed in 2024 and is now getting rereleased. Selena's voice is decidedly modern YA, for all that this is fantasy. She's not trusted by fae because she has the ability to manipulate emotions, and simply being fae is enough for the dragon shifters to hate her. She works with the resistance, though they don't trust her either, and her own parents won't even speak to her if they can avoid it. Of course she has no reason to stay within the Seelie Court, and registers for the trials as her way out. 

The bulk of the book concerns the trials. There are fae who outright hate Selena for her ability, and she's the scapegoat for their negative feelings. She tends to hide and put herself down preemptively, with few willing to acknowledge her as a person. The fights and trials winnow the competition, and Draven blocks Selena whenever he can. She has to be clever, since emotional magic can't physically defeat anyone. She gets through the Atonement Trials, but the ending shows us it's not what was advertised. The cliffhanger is meant to draw the reader into the next book in the series. 

Buy Empire of Flame and Thorns at Amazon

The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst

March 2026; Delacorte Press; 979-8217024308
audio, ebook, print (384 pages); YA fantasy

Sixteen-year-old Calisa arrives at her great-aunt’s B&B in rural Vermont for the summer, finding a rundown inn rather than the cozy bed-and-breakfast she was expecting. Auntie Zee needs help, but doesn't want anyone messing with her beloved inn. Calisa helps to fix up the inn with help from the groundskeeper’s son. As she does, she is sure something is strange about the B&B and its guests. To help save the B&B, she must find out what that secret is.

Calisa is hoping to escape a breakup, and Zee is downright rude in refusing her at first. We see the odd bits right away: whispers when no one else is in sight, the statue that shifts and moves (I laughed when Calisa later name-checks the Weeping Angels), and the closet that had a weird darkness instead of brooms. She rolls with it fairly well, and her natural curiosity helps her connect with the guests she meets as well as the groundskeeper's son. We're right there with her and eager to know what it all means, so the story keeps us enthralled.

At the heart of the story are connections. Calisa didn't have much connection to Zee before the start of the story, and at first just wanted a place to stay so she wouldn't have to see her ex every day. She has a kind heart and looks after others the best that she can, so we're rooting for her to stay, then to figure out a way to help Zee maintain the B&B so it can flourish. We find out its true nature at the halfway point, at which point Calisa is left trying to figure out how best to help. The difficulty in doing so is that she's figuring out what to do as she goes, and has no explanation for what is necessary or what to do when she develops a new ability. It's actually a delight to see her come into her own and gain confidence. I enjoyed the story and watching the journey she took.

Buy The Faraway Inn 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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