More Fantasy Novels Released This Month
Fantasy fans have even more to choose from this month with new releases like Kiersten White's standalone *The Fox and the Devil* [https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/459453/kiersten-white-standalone-by-white-kiersten/9781529917703], Briar Boleyn's *Bloodwing Academy: The Wings That Bind (Book 3)* [https://www.harperreach.com/products/the-wings-that-bind-bloodwing-academy-book-3-briar-boley-9780008804589], and Tori Anne Martin's *Witch of the Shadow Wood* [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/807396/witch-of-the-shadow-wood-by-tori-anne-martin/]. Jessi Cole Jackson's literary fantasy novel *Ruinous Creatures* is also available now [https://books.google.com/books/about/Ruinous_Creatures.html?id=lVFq0QEACAAJ].
Fantasy continues to dominate book sales, with the UK market seeing a 41.3% increase in science fiction and fantasy sales between 2023 and 2024. This surge is fueled by the popularity of "romantasy," which blends fantasy and romance and is heavily promoted by the BookTok community on TikTok. Kiersten White's *The Fox and the Devil* follows Anneke Van Helsing, daughter of Abraham Van Helsing, as she hunts her father's killer, a mysterious woman named Diavola. The gothic fantasy novel is set in the 1900s and is inspired by Dracula, featuring a sapphic romance and a cat-and-mouse dynamic between Anneke and Diavola. Some reviewers have noted the slow pacing and the focus on mystery over the supernatural elements. Briar Boleyn is a *New York Times*, *USA Today*, and *Sunday Times* bestselling author known for the *Bloodwing Academy* and *Blood of a Fae* series. *Bloodwing Academy: The Wings That Bind (Book 3)* continues the dark academia fantasy romance, following Medra Pendragon in a school of highblood vampires. Boleyn's books often feature enemies-to-lovers tropes and are compared to *Harry Potter*, *Fourth Wing*, and *A Court of Thorns and Roses*. Tori Anne Martin's *Witch of the Shadow Wood* is a feminist and sapphic retelling of Hansel and Gretel, set in a magical, melancholic world. The "cozy romantasy" focuses on found family, self-discovery, and feminine rage, with a witch and a princess saving themselves. Martin is a *USA Today* bestselling author of witchy romance and fantasy. Jessi Cole Jackson's *Ruinous Creatures* is a standalone romantasy debut about a woman who awakens magic from phoenix skulls and is bound to a vengeful stranger. The story explores themes of good and ruin, set in a dark and lush world. Jackson drew inspiration from a Dior haute couture shoot and an illustration of a woman wearing a unicorn skull.
