If you’re a fantasy and/or science fiction lover, get excited: there are some amazing new books coming this fall! Here is my list of highly-anticipated science fiction and fantasy books of fall 2023.
I’ve included books from popular authors like Rebecca Yarros, V.E. Schwab, Dan Frey, Naomi Alderman, and more, plus some exciting debut novels to check out!
If you missed my first post in this series, check out my list of the hottest fall 2023 fiction book releases (including general fiction, historical fiction, literary fiction, romance)! And if you’re looking for mysteries and thrillers, you can find my most-anticipated thriller books of 2023 here.
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Highly-Anticipated Sci Fi & Fantasy Books of Fall 2023
From the sequel to one of 2023’s buzziest fantasy books (Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros) to a new book from popular science fiction author John Scalzi, these are all must-read books coming in fall 2023!
Dreambound by Dan Frey
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy
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Synopsis: A father desperately searches for his missing daughter in the underbelly of Los Angeles. His only clue is a note she left behind, claiming that she’s gone to the magical land of her favorite fantasy series. He discovers that dozens of kids have gone missing searching for the same world, and that the city holds more secrets than he could have imagined.
Release date: September 12th, 2023
The Death I Gave Him by Em X. Liu
Genre: Science Fiction/Mystery/Retelling
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Synopsis: This genre-mashup of science fiction and a locked-room mystery reimagines the story of Hamlet in a science lab – complete with an AI companion.
Release date: September 12th, 2023
Fall of Ruin and Wrath by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Genre: Fantasy/Romance/New Adult
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Synopsis: From the bestselling author of From Blood and Ash comes a new fantasy romance series about a world that’s been destroyed by gods, and one woman who must rely on her intuition in the midst of a brimming rebellion.
Release date: September 12th, 2023
Starter Villain by John Scalzi
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy/Humor
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Synopsis: This unique science fiction book (set on Earth in modern day) follows a man who inherits his uncle’s supervillain business – complete with minions, underground lairs, and talking cats. From the author of The Kaiju Preservation Society.
Release date: September 19th, 2023
The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab
Genre: Fantasy
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Synopsis: This spin-off of the A Darker Shade of Magic series follows four magical worlds, all connected by the city of London. The balance of power begins to shift as new magicians surface and a rebellion looms. Meanwhile, one unusual girl might hold the fate of all four worlds in her hands.
Release date: September 26th, 2023
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
Genre: Fantasy/Gothic/Horror
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Synopsis: A ramshackle house – once owned by a reclusive author and illustrator – sits abandoned for years in a small town. Until one day, a woman receives a job offer at the house that she can’t refuse, setting a strange force in motion.
Release date: October 3rd, 2023
What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy
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Synopsis: Set in the 1800s and steeped in ancient magic, this story follows a young Bolivian-Argentinian woman who inherits a massive fortune when her parents die. She travels to Cairo to find out what truly happened to her parents – and finds out there’s much more to the story than she was told. (For fans of The Mummy and Death on the Nile!)
Release date: October 31st, 2023
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros (Fourth Wing #2)
Genre: Fantasy/Romance/New Adult
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Synopsis: The sequel to Fourth Wing. (*Beware possible spoilers from the first book ahead*). Violet Sorrengail survived the threshing at Basgiath War College, but that was just the first step in the brutal training regimen for dragon riders. On top of Violet’s chronic illness, the vice commandant has it in for her. Can her wits and willpower get her through the impossible? Even surviving the training may not be enough, when Violet knows there’s a greater threat lurking.
Release date: November 7th, 2023
The Future by Naomi Alderman
Genre: Science Fiction/Dystopia
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Synopsis: This dystopian science fiction novel follows an eccentric group of people who come together during a not-so-distant future – where the richest of rich are destroying the world, while ensuring they’re the only ones who will survive.
Release date: November 7th, 2023
Bookshops & Bonedust (Legends & Lattes #0)
Genre: Cozy Fantasy
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Synopsis: This prequel to Legends & Lattes (written and published afterward) gives us a glimpse into battle-worn orc Viv’s younger life, while she is still in her mercenary/adventuring phase.
After sustaining an injury, she finds work at a bookshop and starts to learn what it’s like to live a quieter, more peaceful life. And of course, she makes some friends along the way!
Release date: November 7th, 2023 (U.S.)
And that’s my list of most-anticipated science fiction and fantasy books of fall 2023! Let me know which fall reads you’re most excited for!
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