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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Illinois State chapter.

A new year means new up-and-coming book releases! With many established authors announcing that they will be releasing novels at different points this year, I believe 2025 will be one of the biggest years for the publishing industry. Considering the vast amount of upcoming releases in numerous book genres, as an avid reader, I am nothing but ecstatic to read more books and add them to my ever-growing collection. With that said, not only will I be sharing my most anticipated book releases from my favorite authors, but I will also be sharing releases of newer authors and authors I have yet to read!

I am not Jessica Chen

Expected release date: January 28

If you read one of my previous articles where I reviewed the historical fantasy novel, A Song to Drown Rivers, it should be no surprise that one of my most anticipated book releases is written by one of my favorite authors, Ann Liang. Unlike her previous standalone, her next release will be a YA speculative/dark academia novel following Jenna Chen, an Ivy League reject who has fallen short of her family’s high expectations. When she wishes to become her Harvard-bound cousin, Jessica Chen, she gets to live through Jessica’s eyes and realizes the grueling reality of being the “perfect daughter”. From what I’ve heard, this novel is aimed at burnt-out students and those who idolize others in their heads, so if that sounds like you, I highly recommend checking out her latest release!

Green Teeth

Expected release date: February 25

In this folklore-centric cozy fantasy debut by Molly O’Neill, Jenny Greenteeth is a lake-dwelling monster who has never interacted with humans, until a witch gets thrown into her lake. Although the witch is unfamiliar, something changes in Jenny, as she believes the witch’s life is worth saving. This leads Jenny and the witch, Temperance, to go on a magical journey to defeat the evil that threatens not only their own lives but all of Britain. Not only is this fantasy standalone perfect for anyone who enjoys reading about fae or folklore, but it emphasizes the found family dynamic, which I’m very excited to read about. I also believe one of the main characters in this novel is the mythical Erl King, so to any classical music fan or anyone who loves Erlkönig, this book is also for you!

A Forgery of Fate

Expected release date: June 3

From Elizabeth Lim, the author of Six Crimson Cranes, Beauty and the Beast meets Bardugo’s Six of Crows in this YA romantasy standalone about a young girl with the unique magical ability to paint the future. After her father becomes lost at sea, Tru Saigas becomes an art forger in an attempt to provide for her family and stave off gangsters demanding payment for her mother’s debts. At wit’s end, Tru agrees to a marriage contract with a cursed dragon lord, in exchange for a fresh start with her family and answers to her father’s mysterious disappearance. Although I’ve always considered the Beauty and the Beast retelling market to be a bit oversaturated, based on the synopsis of this upcoming release, I am already in love with the plot, magical elements, and undersea setting of this novel. As someone who has heard great things regarding Elizabeth Lim’s previous novels, and as an avid Six of Crows fan, I couldn’t not include this forthcoming release on this list!

Bury our Bones in the Midnight Soil

Expected release date: June 10

Inspired by Louis and Lestat’s dynamic in Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, V.E. Schwab’s next book release will be a sapphic lovers-to-enemies novel with murder, revenge, and vampires (of course). Although the novel’s official synopsis is very short and vague, it is said to be about three women who were buried in the same place, whose lives and magic become intertwined from there. As a fan of both V.E. Schwab’s previous novels and Interview with the Vampire, adding this upcoming book release to my list was inevitable, and I cannot wait to add this to my bookshelf once it releases.

Katabasis

Expected release date: August 25

Among the dark academia genre, many readers consider Babel by R.F. Kuang to be a huge staple due to its exploration of language and knowledge. This is why numerous readers of dark academia literature and R.F. Kuang’s novels would consider Katabasis to be our most anticipated book release of 2025. Stated to have similar vibes to Dante’s Inferno and Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi, the story follows Alice Law, a Magick student whose penultimate goal is to study at Cambridge University, working with the greatest magician in the world, Professor Grimes. Once Grimes dies of a freaky magic-related accident, Alice decides that even death will not stop her dreams from coming to fruition, and travels to the underworld to save his soul. However, since her academic rival comes to the same conclusion, they must work together to save their professor’s soul from Hell, all for him to write recommendation letters for them. Although R.F. Kuang’s previous novels had little to no romance elements, I heard there will be a rivals-to-lovers story arc in this release!

Alchemy of Secrets

Expected release date: September 30

Set to release in the latter half of this year, Stephanie Garber’s up-and-coming novel will be her adult fantasy debut, Alchemy of Secrets. According to the official synopsis, a woman called the Professor tells legends and urban myths to her class in a movie theatre. Although most students believe her stories to be fiction, you cannot say the same for Holland St. James, a graduate student with a tragic past. Once she decides to write her thesis on old Hollywood deaths, to prove they were actually murders committed by the devil, she embarks on a quest where she uncovers century-old secrets and magic-related mysteries. Even though this novel will likely be very different from her previous young adult trilogies, I believe Stephanie Garber’s writing style will suit the adult fantasy genre very well!

From cozy fantasy debuts to dark academia standalone novels, there are numerous book releases to pick and choose from, no matter your taste in books. Although you might not have the same taste in books as I do, I highly recommend checking out these books once they hit the shelves, especially if their synopses interest you. Anyway, I hope you are as excited about the releases of these books as much as I am!

Sarah Mata

Illinois State '28

Hey! I'm Sarah and I'm a freshman majoring in English Studies at Illinois State University. Other than writing (of course), I mostly spend my free time reading fiction books, listening to a wide variety of music, making playlists for every specific scenario, and drinking bubble tea with my friends! I initially joined Her Campus to grow my writing skills and to share my favorite topics with others! I hope you enjoy reading my articles as much as I loved writing them <3. Follow me on instagram: @smata.14