2026: Fantasy / Horror Outlook

[Raf]

Yeah agree

It's like they are trying to attract younger readers with the other cover. These are much better.

 

[Hobbit]

It's like they are trying to attract younger readers with the other cover.

Absolutely. It's a regular thing now. Another example- great book, awful cover:



(I know, it's SF, but you get my point, I hope.)

 

[Prairie_Dog]

We have a new cover reveal for Volume 8 of the Singing Hills Cycle by Nghi Vo. The Judgement of Needles will take Cleric Chih and his companion Almost Brilliant to the Palace of Gleaming Light in Anh. There they will learn a tale stitched in blood.

This will reportedly be released 05/04/2027.

The Judgment of Needles

A history stitched in blood—return to the world of the Hugo award-winning Singing Hills series by USA Today bestselling author Nghi Vo.A celebration of the...

us.macmillan.com

 

[Cicero]

We have a cozy short story collection from the world of Legends and Lattes coming this fall (2026). Tales from the Territory will be the fourth book by Travis Baldree, and I will pre-order it as soon as I can.

Ive never read any of these.

 

[Cicero]

4th book of the "The Assembly" series by Steve McHugh. I'm reading the 3rd one right now. This one is due out on October 27th, 2026.

I reviewed #'s 1 & 2 here some time back. Last year, maybe? Or maybe earlier in this year. Can't remember actually. But it is a fun read complete with Vampires , Werewolves and other supernatural baddies living with humans in the modern times. Miles Watson, an Arbiter of the Assembly, and his mutated, intelligent Doberman (Church) are supernatural troubleshooters. Good story.

I tried to download the books 1 & 2 again from KU to re-read. But KU was being a PITA about it. Maybe because I had already read it? I don't know...it kept trying to send me to an out of the system website. I shut it down and just went ahead and started the 3rd.

Nifty cover art.

 

[Prairie_Dog]

We have a new cover reveal for Volume 8 of the Singing Hills Cycle by Nghi Vo. The Judgement of Needles will take Cleric Chih and his companion Almost Brilliant to the Palace of Gleaming Light in Anh. There they will learn a tale “…stitched in blood.”

This will reportedly be released 05/04/2027.

The Judgment of Needles

A history stitched in blood—return to the world of the Hugo award-winning Singing Hills series by USA Today bestselling author Nghi Vo.A celebration of the...

us.macmillan.com

 

[Prairie_Dog]

Ive never read any of these.

I envy you, as you have some great reading to enjoy!

 

[Fryan]

We have a new cover reveal for Volume 8 of the Singing Hills Cycle by Nghi Vo. The Judgement of Needles will take Cleric Chih and his companion Almost Brilliant to the Palace of Gleaming Light in Anh. There they will learn a tale “…stitched in blood.”

This will reportedly be released 05/04/2027.

The Judgment of Needles

A history stitched in blood—return to the world of the Hugo award-winning Singing Hills series by USA Today bestselling author Nghi Vo.A celebration of the...

us.macmillan.com

Are there 8 of these now?!? I’ve fallen behind! I’ve read 5 of them, but now I have some catching up to do.

 

[Prairie_Dog]

Are there 8 of these now?!? I’ve fallen behind! I’ve read 5 of them, but now I have some catching up to do.

Yes, when this one is released it will be the eighth volume. The cool thing though is they can be read in any order, each is an independent story.

 

[Fryan]

Yes, when this one is released it will be the eighth volume. The cool thing though is they can be read in any order, each is an independent story.

They are such good palate cleanser books. I like to read them after a long read or a book that I didn’t like that much.

 

[Cicero]

They are such good palate cleanser books. I like to read them after a long read or a book that I didn’t like that much.

DMR Books. You might find that site to be of interest.

 

[Cicero]

Absolutely. It's a regular thing now. Another example- great book, awful cover:

View attachment 1070

(I know, it's SF, but you get my point, I hope.)

I almost picked this one up.

 

[Cicero]

It's like they are trying to attract younger readers with the other cover. These are much better.

Two you might find of interest Raf

The Sapphire Goddess : The Fantasies of Nictzen Dyalhis. This writer is largely unknown he only about 11 stories in all and I found as result of Fantasy anthology book Echos of Valor III edited by Karl Edward Wagner . Dyalhis's stories are quite unique.

The Thief of Forthe and Other Stories by Clifford Ball he too only wrote a handful of stories this afternoon the death of Robert E Howard.

 

[Raf]

New novel from John Gwynne. Release date: Nov 6, 2026.

 

[Hobbit]

New novel from John Gwynne. Release date: Nov 6, 2026.

Are you a fan, Raf?

{ I tried it and really really disliked it; but I know that the author has fans....)

 

[Raf]

Are you a fan, Raf?

{ I tried it and really really disliked it; but I know that the author has fans....)

I'm a huge Gwynne fan, Hobbit, I really like his Norse imagined universe.

 

[Hobbit]

I'm a huge Gwynne fan, Hobbit, I really like his Norse imagined universe.

Am aware that I seem to be in a minority with his books, though I keep trying.... hope it is more to your liking, Raf!

 

[TheSeveredWorldNovels]

Think a few people have mentioned this one already. New Dresden Files from Jim Butcher, due January.

View attachment 930

I keep thinking about reading this series. I liked the show and, of course, the books are always better than the output after they've been "digested" by hollywood. So I should like it.

Somehow I'd gotten the impression from someone that it was in some way incomplete. That must not be true if he's still publishing. Or at least it must not be relevant.

I assume publication order is the best reading order?

 

[Hobbit]

Yes. The thing to bear in mind, though, rather like Pratchett's Colour of Magic, is that the first book, Fool Moon, is not the best; the series does get better, though.

There were changes made to the books when made into a TV series: Bob is a talking skull in the books, for example, which I think was better, although I understand why the changes were made for television.

If I remember right. the books are more snarky, being told from Dresden's view - it was there in the series, but more so in the books I think.

Oh, in the interests of transparency, I was quoted on the back of some of the UK editions, although the quote was a sentence.

Lastly - there's a lot of books. I stopped at Ghost Story and haven't been back, because I thought it was pushing the idea a little too far. Allowing for that, the books are one of my favourite series - and definitely one of my favourite urban fantasy series ever.

Hope they hold up for you.

M.