Magical nights, cozy cottages, epic adventures—are you ready for the best summer of your life? This summer, you’re about to experience stories that you wish would be real. Wouldn’t you like to own a cute cottage filled to the brim with interesting books? Or accompany a fox spirit in uncovering a murder mystery? These new fantasy books out in the summer of 2024 are going to change your life…for the better.
Summer is the perfect time to start a new fantasy book!
Because it’s summer, I know that you might either have a lot of time or no time at all. That’s why I did want to mention books that could either be fast, cozy reads for moments when you want a quick escape and heavy, thick epic fantasy novels that you could easily get swept into when you have a little bit more time. In the end, there is going to be variety for whatever you fancy yourself reading at the moment.
The list of fantasy books out in the summer of 2024 below features books that should already be out according to release dates, though they sometimes change. If you’re ready to find out more about mysterious and dark universities, characters who can bring people back from the dead, and stories inspired by legends like Mulan, keep reading because you’re going to be adding so many books to your TBR.
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
Bramble’s The Spellshop feels like a warm hug. This lush cottagecore fantasy novel is perfect if you have dreams of leaving the city life behind and moving to a remote island to tend to your garden and create a jam business with your sentient spider plant. Perfect, right?
Meet Kiela, a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium. She has trouble connecting with people and may be the ideal person to be a librarian because she only needs books and her assistant, a sentient spider plant, as companions. When the library burns down, she flees with only the books on her back and ends up back in her hometown, where she starts creating jam, dabbling a bit in illegal magic, and meeting a nosy but very handsome neighbor.
The Gilded Crown by Marianne Gordon
Imagine bringing people back from the dead. Well, the protagonist in The Gilden Crown, Hellevir, doesn’t have to only imagine it, because she knows how to do it. This queer fantasy novel enchants you with a tale of a necromancer who gets involved with an assassination plot, only to revive the princess soon after and become sort of her bodyguard so she doesn’t die again.
The Night Ends with Fire by K. X. Song
Inspired by the legend of Mulan, The Night Ends with Fire is a fantasy adventure that follows a young woman who has to take matters into her own hands when her opium-addicted father plans to sell her for her dowry. With the upcoming war knocking on her door, she enlists in her father’s place to escape her future. But with the Three Kingdom’s own future hanging in the balance, Meilin’s choices come with terrifying prices.
Saints of Storm and Sorrow by Gabriella Buba
Saints of Storm and Sorrow is a powerful tale of colonization, anger, religion, identity, and gods. If you have been waiting to read a story about a bisexual nun in hiding who has powers, this book is for you!
In this novel, you’ll get to meet Maria Lunurin, who is living a double life—to the world, she is a nun, and behind closed doors, she has the power to call up storms. If anyone finds out she is a stormcaller, she could face deadly consequences. When her family is threatened, she turns to her childhood friend, Alon Dakila, unknowingly—setting the course of events that will change her life forever.
The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love by India Holton
India Holton’s most recent historical fantasy romance comes in the way of two rival ornithologists who have to hunt down a rare magical bird to be crowned Birder of the Year. But when they have a past of always being at odds, teaming up might not be the smoothest ride for them, especially when the forced proximity and shared quarters might create some sparks and excitement between the two of them.
Think Indiana Jones set in Victorian England with steampunk vibes!
The Coven by Harper L. Woods
This is a dark, gothic-infused fantasy romance about a young woman who is keen on protecting her younger brother, but to do it, she must enlist in the prestigious Hollow’s Grove University. Get ready for a mysterious, sinister romance that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
This book is perfect for fans of Gothikana and The Wren in the Holly Library!
Nine Tailed by Jayci Lee
One of the best summer books for summer 2024 is Nine Tailed, a delightful and entertaining fantasy romance about a woman named Sunny Cho who is a nine-tailed fox spirit. Because of this, she usually stays in cities for the perfect amount of time so she becomes forgettable to people.
But when Ethan, a ghost from her past, tracks her down to ask her to help him find his brother’s murderer, she embarks on an epic quest between the mortal realm and the world of the gods, all to find answers and fight evil.
A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
T. Kingfisher returns with a dark reimagining of the Brothers Grimm’s Goose Girl that’s filled with moments that will provide goosebumps immediately.
Follow Cordelia, a 14-year-old girl, who is trying to survive and escape her mother’s magic and control. After an event that forces her mother to flee her home alongside her, they end up arriving at a remote manor owned by a wealthy older man. Cordelia knows her mother has plans of her own…unless she is stopped.
The Sky on Fire by Jenn Lyons
Dragons are what’s hot right now! If you’re picking one fantasy book to read in the summer of 2024, let it be The Sky on Fire.
The story centers around Anahrod, an independent woman who has been living on her own after being cast out for a crime she did not commit. When she is suddenly saved by a band of misfits, she realizes that she can’t run from the past anymore. Whisked away to the cloud cities once again, she joins this ragtag group to steal from a dragon’s hoard. And this dragon? She wants Anahrod dead.
The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlà Clark
In P. Djèlà Clark’s brand-new fantasy novel, a world of gods and assassins awaits you. The Dead Cat Tail Assassins tells the story of Eveen the Eviscerator, a resurrected, skilled assassin who only trusts the blades she wields. When she accepts a new assignment, she never expects to be face-to-face with a past she wasn’t supposed to remember and a vow she couldn’t forget.
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