As an avid reader, I am always looking for new and exciting reads. Although I read some great books over the winter break, there are some book releases that I’m really looking forward to in 2025. Despite having an impossibly long TBR that I am likely to never finish; I have the dangerous mentality that there is no such thing as too many book recs. Will 2025 be the year I start tackling my TBR before adding more books to it? Unfortunately not. As such, I have created a list, in no particular order, of my most anticipated fantasy/fiction books that are being released in 2025 for those like me who can never get enough book recommendations.
Onyx storm by rebecca yarros
Onyx Storm, which releases on January 21st 2025, is the third book in Rebecca Yarros’ The Empyrean series, and one that I’ve been dying to read since I finished the second book in 2023. This series is a classic action-packed fantasy read, complete with dragons, battles, and an enemies-to-lovers trope. If you haven’t heard of The Empyrean series before, I’m more than happy to put you all on. In short, this series is about a young girl named Violet Sorrengail who undergoes brutal and deeply competitive training to become a dragon rider at Basgiath War College, where the ultimate hope of all students is to bond with a dragon – at the risk of their own life. During her time at Basgiath, Violet meets the son of her mother’s foremost enemy – the leader of a violent rebellion against the government – tall, dark, handsome and morally grey, Xaden Riorson. In classic book-trope fashion, Violet and Xaden become close despite all odds, kickstarting a whirlwind enemies-to-lovers romance. This series is definitely one I highly recommend, and that I absolutely cannot wait to continue reading this year.
SUNRISE ON THE REAPING BY SUZANNE COLLINS
Sunrise On the Reaping is the second prequel novel to Suzanne Collins’ award-winning series The Hunger Games, that is set to be released on March 18, 2025. This series was practically unavoidable during the early 2010s, especially after it was turned into a film adaptation, which won several awards in its own right. Sunrise On The Reaping centers around Katniss Everdeen’s mentor who trained her during the 74th annual Hunger Games – Haymitch Abernathy. This book centers on Haymitch’s life and tells the events of how he came to win the 50th annual Hunger Games. I, like many others who had access to the internet and media in the early 2010s, am a big fan from of the original Hunger Games series. Though I am often hesitant regarding the quality of a prequel series, after seeing how well dome the first prequel novel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was in 2020, I am immensely excited to read this upcoming novel.
a primal of blood and bone by jennifer l. armentrout
A Primal of Blood and Bone is the sixth novel in Jennifer L. Armentrout’s From Blood and Ash series. While this series can seem like a big commitment, especially considering there is also a prequel series which has 4 books, I am absolutely obsessed with it, and always make sure to be the first in line to buy every new book as it gets released. From Blood and Ash is the epitome of a “romantasy” series, complete with vampires, action-packed battle scenes, a complex pantheon of gods, and a compelling love story. I just finished the final book in the prequel series over the winter break, meaning I’ve been conjuring up theories about the next book in the main series for weeks now, and will be (not so) patiently waiting to see if any of my theories are correct when the book gets released on June 10th.
GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL LIFE BY EMILY HENRY
Great Big Beautiful Life is Emily Henry’s newest romance novel, and is to be released April 22nd 2025. I’m a big fan of Emily Henry’s novels, and have already read most of her previous work. However, for those who haven’t heard of her, Henry is the perfect author for those who are fans of light-hearted romance books with lovable characters. If that interests you, allow me to give a sneak peak into what this new book is about. Great Big Beautiful Life surrounds two authors – Alice and Hayden – who are competing for the chance to write the biography of a famous heiress named Margaret Ives, whose life in shrouded in mystery and intrigue. Naturally, in typical romance novel fashion, the clashing differences in the two authors personalities, combined with their competition to gain the rights to write Margaret’s story, lead to Alice and Hayden falling for each other in a whirlwind romance, that has the potential to end in tragedy. Despite this trope being pretty common within romance novels, I find it never gets old, and cannot wait to enjoy it once again when this book is released.
fearless by lauren roberts
Fearless by Lauren Roberts is the third and final book in The Powerless trilogy. The Powerless trilogy, like many others on this list, is a “romantasy” series. Here, the main character – Paedyn Gray – is born without magic, in a world where the King seeks to eradicate all non-magical beings to preserve the strength of the kingdom. Thus, Paedyn has to fake a magical ability in order to survive. Of course, according to fantasy book logic, this means that Paedyn ends up being selected to compete in a magical competition at the palace. During the competition, Paedyn ends up meeting Kai Azer, the prince, and the enforcer of his father’s laws against non-magical beings within the kingdom. Naturally, the pair enter into a romance featuring the classic enemies-to-lovers trope. At this point you know that this trope gets me every time, so it’s no surprise that I’ve been following this series since the first book’s release in 2023. This series is one of those in which the reader truly gets immersed in the world, and I am so excited to jump back in for the conclusion of this captivating trilogy to be released on April 8th.
the starving saints by caitlin starling
The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling is mix between fantasy and historical fiction that is set to be released on May 20th, 2025. The novel is set in a medieval castle that is under siege and is quickly running out of food, when suddenly saintly figures arrive to offer supplies to the castle in exchange for worship and adoration. However, this boon quickly turns dangerous, as the people in the castle participate in near-constant drunken and hedonistic revelry, with no regard to the fact that the siege remains underway outside the castle walls. This leaves it up to three women within the castle – with no prior connection to each other – to save the castle and those within it. This novel seems compelling with its unique plot, and its historical themes – something that always intrigues me as a history major. This book seeks to explore the complex depths of human depravity in a truly unique way that I cannot wait to experience. I think it will truly be an interesting read, and one I am greatly anticipating.
atmosphere by taylor jenkins reId
Atmosphere is Taylor Jenkins Reid’s upcoming fiction novel, expected to be released on June 3, 2025. Atmosphere tells the story of Joan Goodwin, who joins NASA’s Space Shuttle program in the summer of 1980. Joan seeks to become one of the few people selected to go to space, alongside her group of unlikely friends that she makes within the program. Complex dynamics amongst the group lead to Joan questioning everything she knows about her life, especially during a mission in December of 1984 when everything changes in an instant. Taylor Jenkins Reid’s prior novels, namely Daisy Jones & The Six – which received a television adaptation starring Riley Keough and Sam Claflin, and if you haven’t watched it yet, I cannot recommend it enough – as well as The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, are both fantastic novels that I could not put down, leaving me with high expectations for Atmosphere, and I can’t wait to read this novel upon its release.