Honestly, if you're still staring at your 2024 "TBR" pile with a mix of guilt and ambition, I have some bad news. 2025 is basically a freight train of high-stakes sequels and weirdly specific sub-genres that are going to make your reading schedule look like a disaster zone.
People keep saying the "romantasy" bubble is going to burst, but looking at the fantasy book releases 2025 calendar, that's just not happening. If anything, the genre is getting weirder and more ambitious. We aren't just getting "dragon riders with feelings" anymore. We're getting academic rivals descending into literal hell and sapphic vampires navigating three different centuries of trauma.
It’s a lot.
The Heavy Hitters You Already Know
Let's just get the "big" ones out of the way first. You probably already know that Rebecca Yarros kicked the year off with Onyx Storm in January. If you survived the emotional wreckage of that third Empyrean book, congratulations. You’re stronger than most.
But the year didn't stop there.
Joe Abercrombie, the king of making you feel slightly greasy after reading his (excellent) prose, dropped The Devils in May. It’s exactly what you’d expect: a bunch of absolute reprobates sent on a mission that’s probably doomed. It's gritty, it’s funny in a "life is meaningless" sort of way, and it reminds us why he’s the gold standard for grimdark.
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Then there's Brandon Sanderson. The man writes faster than I can check my email. While we're all still digesting Wind and Truth (technically late 2024, but let’s be real, people are reading it well into 2025), his 2025 has been more about the "State of the Sanderson" updates and specialized projects. However, the shadow of Mistborn and the Cosmere looms over every other release this year.
The "Genre-Benders" Taking Over Your Feed
What’s actually interesting about fantasy book releases 2025 isn't the established giants. It’s the mid-year shifts.
Have you heard about Katabasis by R.F. Kuang? It’s slated for August 26, 2025. If you liked Babel, this is going to be your new personality for at least a month. It follows two academic rivals who have to go to the underworld to save their professor. It’s basically "Dark Academia meets Dante’s Inferno," and it’s predictably brilliant. Kuang has this way of making you feel like you’re learning something while your heart is being stepped on.
V.E. Schwab also threw a curveball with Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil in June.
It’s dark.
It’s messy.
It’s about three women across different eras—1532, 1827, and 2019—whose stories literally grow "teeth" in the soil. It’s a vampire story, sure, but not the kind that sparkles. It’s more the kind that haunts your dreams.
Sequels That Are Actually Worth the Wait
Wait, I almost forgot. James Islington.
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If you read The Will of the Many, you’ve been vibrating with anxiety for the sequel. The Strength of the Few is finally hitting shelves in November 2025. Honestly, the first book was such a tight, Roman-inspired magic school thriller that the pressure on this sequel is immense. From what the early buzz suggests, it ramps up the stakes significantly. Don't expect a sophomore slump here.
A few other sequels you should have circled in red:
- A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett (April): The follow-up to The Tainted Cup. If you like Sherlock Holmes but with weird biological mutations and giant sea monsters, this is your jam.
- The Jasad Crown by Sara Hashem (July): The conclusion to the Scorched Throne duology.
- Empire of the Dawn by Jay Kristoff (November): The finale to the Empire of the Vampire series. Bring tissues. And maybe a wooden stake.
Why 2025 Covers Look... Different?
You might have noticed that your local Barnes & Noble looks like a neon explosion lately.
There’s a massive trend in 2025 toward "Symbolism Over Characters." Instead of a generic brooding guy in a cloak, we’re seeing minimalist, bold icons. Think enchanted keys, bloody crowns, or intricate clockwork.
The color palettes have gone wild, too. We’re talking electric blues and "look at me" purples. Publishers are finally realizing that if a book doesn't look good as a tiny thumbnail on a TikTok feed, it basically doesn't exist. Plus, the "sprayed edges" obsession has reached a fever pitch. If your book doesn't have stenciled edges and a hidden map under the dust jacket, is it even a 2025 release?
What Most People Are Missing
Everyone is looking at the big names, but some of the best fantasy book releases 2025 are the weird debuts.
Amal El-Mohtar (who co-wrote This Is How You Lose the Time War) released her solo debut, The River Has Roots, earlier this year. It’s a smaller, more intimate story set on the edge of Faerie. It’s the kind of book you read under a blanket with a cup of tea while it’s raining outside.
Then there’s Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix. Hendrix usually does horror, but this 1970s-set story about a home for unwed mothers that might be a coven is a perfect bridge for people who want their fantasy with a side of "holy crap, that’s creepy."
Practical Steps for Your TBR
If you're feeling overwhelmed, don't try to read everything. You'll burn out by March.
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- Audit your series: If you haven't read book one of James Islington's Hierarchy or Robert Jackson Bennett's Shadow of the Leviathan, do that now. The 2025 sequels are the ones people will be talking about at the end of the year.
- Pre-order the "Limiteds": For authors like Kuang or Schwab, the first editions with the fancy edges sell out in minutes. If you want the "pretty" version, you have to be fast.
- Check the Indie scene: A lot of the best "romantasy" is actually starting on Kindle Unlimited before getting picked up by big publishers. If you want to be ahead of the curve, keep an eye on what's trending in the "Indie" charts.
2025 isn't just a year of more books; it's a year where fantasy is finally shedding its "Lord of the Rings" clone skin and becoming something much more diverse, colorful, and—frankly—bizarre. Whether you're here for the spicy dragon romance or the gritty political machinations, there's literally no excuse to be bored.
Go through your current shelves and donate the stuff you know you'll never actually re-read. You're going to need the space for the November rush.