It's officially Autumn! Are you ready to pull out the cozy blankets and pumpkin spice drinks? I have a variety of fantasy novels for you to choose from today. Whether it is a cozy fantasy, a supernatural thriller, or a paranormal romance you are looking for, you can go wrong adding these to your fall reading list.
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The Pumpkin Bride by Fiona Buttercup
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| September 2026; MIRA; 978-0778332664 audio, ebook, print (352 pages); cozy fantasy |
Sir Bram Duncan was a knight of legend until a prince and an autumn sprite turned him into the orc Jask Bone-Cracker. He hid his form for the past three years and swallowed down his love for Princess Marigold. The Princess is now trying to escape an arranged marriage to Prince Crispin when she stumbles across Jask in his pumpkin farm. The two eventually discuss the curse and must decide if they will cling to lies when Crispin won't let go, or let love set them free.
This is a magical romcom, so you know we'll get our happily ever after at the end. Along the way is Marigold's cheerful optimism, love of food, and cleverness in discovering who Bram is under the orc transformation. Bram has gotten cranky and is the grumpy to her sunshine, but also bakes and cares for the farm. He can't leave and has few acquaintances to talk to. Those few multiply with Marigold's help, and the threat of Crispin finding them remains even as they fall in love with each other all over again. It's an adorable story, and one that rewards kindness and caring for others.
Buy The Pumpkin Bride at Amazon
Spellstruck by Martha Waters
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| September 2026; Atria Books; 978-1668215241 audio, ebook, print (352 pages); paranormal romance |
In an alternate 1920s London, magic has been outlawed, leaving magical families operating illegal speakeasies. Vesper Holloway runs her family club, and rumors circulate how accidents with magic-laced drinks are becoming more common. Maxwell Ashbridge, a one-time friend of Vesper’s brother, joined the government agency tasked with enforcing the magic ban. He's drawn to Vesper and promises her immunity for her club if she teams up with him to find out who is responsible for the contaminated magic. Accidents continue, and the fight to repeal the ban gains ground in Parliament. Are Vesper and Max able to keep the magic between them?
Magic once was powerful, and has waned so that it's largely potions and powder to achieve specific effects. They glamor appearances and clothing, help people feel calm or lively, hover over the ground, feel clever, or enhance the flavor of food and drink. It's still seen as an unfair advantage to those without magic, and there are groups invested in shutting them down. Max now works in that division, and his supervisor specifically chose him to investigate based on his prior friendship. Vesper has her own history with him, and wants to keep the club open. It sounds like a no-brainer to pose as a couple to gain entry to other magic clubs, which Max could never do on his own. Of course there's an attraction and Vesper’s own history of poor romantic relationships. What could possibly go wrong?
This is a lovely Roaring Twenties-style novel, with the proximity of the investigation constantly throwing Max and Vesper together. The two get to see the underlying intelligence and determination they each have. Max gets to see that the magical world isn't entirely terrible and has its own kind of sense, and Vesper sees more than she used to as the youngest child in her family. The two investigate through connections they have and diligent observations, all the while getting closer to one another. I enjoyed the mystery as well as the romance, and we have a fitting happily ever after for the characters.
Buy Spellstruck at Amazon
Sisters of Crimson House by Melissa Anderson Sweazy
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| September 2026; Sourcebooks Landmark; 978-1464272356 audio, ebook, print (416 pages); supernatural thriller |
Crimson House is the Bryde family mansion in Memphis, Tennessee. Charley Bryde is the only woman in a long line of Bryde psychics who hadn't inherited the ability, but she's the one who stayed when tragedy scattered the family around the globe. As money runs out, Charley turned the manor into a haunted attraction and lied or conned her way through Tarot readings to make ends meet. A skeptic is targeting her as a fraud, just as her talented older sister Miranda returns after eight years away. The two sisters learn there are more secrets in the house and within their family that even psychics couldn't foresee.
Charley was the younger sister without any psychic gifts out of a family of capable women. She is supposed to protect her sister and limit access to the medium ability when Miranda was too exhausted. The two bicker and resent each other, and Miranda leaving adds to that. Charley has to finish school, take care of their house and grandmother on her own, and deal with grief and anger on her own. It's a lot to go through before the book opens, though we see the Bryde Spectacular for ourselves in the opening. The ghost tour and Tarot readings are a far cry from those events.
We know something odd circled the family and Charley from the start, and it ramps up over the course of the book. Sy Prescott increases the pressure as the skeptic offering money for proof of the supernatural, with more weirdness happening when he's near. As the story progresses, Charley gets more psychic abilities, and the creepiness ramps up. Miranda's arrival only brings more resentment and questions, which finally get answered in the final third of the book. It's a wild ride in that third, with the truth revealed in spectacularly psychic fashion, and a wish for justice to be served. I think it's a very fitting ending for this story, and I couldn't stop reading when I had other things to do. I'll let you decide for yourself if everyone got what they deserved.
Buy Sisters of Crimson Hall at Amazon
The Darkness Bites Back by Laura R. Samotin and Ben Alderson
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| September 2026; Angry Robot; 978-1836730057 audio, ebook, print (320 pages); fantasy |
Tobias Osian was turned into a vampire against his will centuries ago and vowed revenge against Vladimir Damianos. Vladimir is the head of Britain's most powerful vampire clan, and is difficult to get to. Vladimir's son Alexander will be Tobias' means of getting to him, but Alexander has rebelled against Vladimir and is protecting humans. The two have an instant attraction when they meet in Oxford, and Alexander doesn't immediately recognize that Tobias is a vampire as well. As Alexander keeps trying to protect him, Tobias must choose between exacting his revenge or keeping a growing love alive.
The story is billed as a vampiric Romeo and Juliet set in modern-day Oxford, and opens with Tobias taking out the competition to position himself closer to Vladimir and revenge. It's all he cares about, so we know that his plan will be in jeopardy all throughout the book. Alexander isn't the selfish or cruel figure his father is, and enjoys being a professor and benefactor of a soup kitchen in Oxford. The two have a whirlwind of a courtship, becoming rapidly obsessed with each other. The bodies that Tobias left in his wake increase tension in the city, and there's an investigation both by mortal police forces as well as the Damianos clan. It all comes to a confrontation in the conclusion of the book, where the truth is revealed in a bloody confrontation.
I was drawn into the story to see how it ended, especially as Tobias started to really fall for Alexander and regret the need for revenge. There's tension to see if Alexander would discover Tobias' secrets, or what would happen between them. The end has a swift resolution, as well as a surprise happily ever after just when you think it will end in tragedy. (That should help if you're afraid of reading a Shakespearean tragic ending
Buy The Darkness Bites Back 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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