Traditionally, March is said to come in like a lion and go out like a lamb. But in the world of publishing, at least in the year of our Lord 2025, March doesn’t look like it’s going to let up for a day. Fantasy fans are about to get buried under a deluge of exciting new releases, from buzzy debuts and long-awaited sequels to the return of one of the genre’s biggest names.
From swoon-worthy romantasy stories to complex fairy tale retellings and epic adventure, there’s something for every kind of fantasy fan arriving in a bookstore near you this month.
Here are the best fantasy books hitting shelves in March.
The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar
Release Date: March 4 from Tordotcom
Why We’re Excited: The highly anticipated solo debut from Amal El-Mohtar, one half of the duo who wrote the bestselling This Is How You Lose the Time War, The River Has Roots is a rich and evocative story that’s one part fairy tale, one part murder ballad, and one part ode to the magical power of language itself.
Publisher’s Description: In the small town of Thistleford, on the edge of Faerie, dwells the mysterious Hawthorn family.
There, they tend and harvest the enchanted willows and honour an ancient compact to sing to them in thanks for their magic. None more devotedly than the family’s latest daughters, Esther and Ysabel, who cherish each other as much as they cherish the ancient trees.
But when Esther rejects a forceful suitor in favor of a lover from the land of Faerie, not only the sisters’ bond but also their lives will be at risk…
The Scorpion and the Night Blossom by Amelie Wen Zhao
Release Date: March 4 from Delacorte Press
Why We’re Excited: In this lush fantasy inspired by Chinese mythology, a young woman desperate to save her mother enters the Immortality Trials to win the one thing that might save her—a pill of eternal life. But the Trials hold many hidden dangers—the most unexpected of which might be the handsome practitioner Yù’chén, a man talented enough to win in his own right, but who seems to be strangely invested in keeping Àn’yīng alive. A thrilling competition ensues, which features a compelling mystery and one of the most swoon-worthy, complicated romances you’ll read this year.
Publisher’s Description: Nine years ago, the war between the Kingdom of Night and the Kingdom of Rivers tore Àn’yīng’s family apart, leaving her mother barely alive and a baby sister to fend for. Now the mortal realm is falling into eternal night, and mó—beautiful, ravenous demons—roam the land, feasting on the flesh of humans and drinking their souls.
Àn’yīng is no longer a helpless child, though. Armed with her crescent blades and trained in the ancient art of practitioning, she has decided to enter the Immortality Trials, which are open to any mortal who can survive the journey to the immortal realm. Those who complete the Trials are granted a pill of eternal life—the one thing Àn’yīng knows can heal her dying mother. But to attain the prize, she must survive the competition.
Death is common in the Trials. Yet oddly, Àn’yīng finds that someone is helping her stay alive. A rival contestant. Powerful and handsome, Yù’chén is as secretive about his past as he is about his motives for protecting Àn’yīng.
The longer she survives the Trials, the clearer it becomes that all is not right in the immortal realm. To save her mother and herself, Àn’yīng will need to figure out whether she can truly trust the stranger she’s falling for or if he’s the most dangerous player of all . . . for herself and for all the realms.
Nightweaver by R.M. Gray
Release Date: March 4 from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Why We’re Excited: This propulsive story about a flawed heroine desperate to avenge her brother’s death who must become a servant of one of the very beings that she believes killed him is full of surprises and twists you really won’t expect.
Publisher’s Description: Six hundred years ago, Nightweavers, cursed beings with untamed power, claimed the continents for their own. The ocean was meant to be a safe haven for humanity, including seventeen-year-old Aster Oberon and her pirate family. But after Aster’s brother is killed in an epic battle at sea against Nightweavers, Aster and her family are thrust into a new life on land.
When a handsome Nightweaver named Will offers the Oberons protection and work at his opulent estate, Aster is suspicious. As the arrogant and entitled right hand to the wicked prince, Will is everything that she has been taught to hate. But as he shows empathy and kindness, Aster can’t ignore a blooming attraction. And even more, Will opens her eyes to a new reality: There are monsters worse than Nightweavers, monsters who may be behind her brother’s death.
As Aster hunts the creatures responsible, dark secrets threaten to unravel everything she once believed about her family, herself, and her world.
Once Was Willem by M.R. Carey
Release Date: March 4 from Orbit
Why We’re Excited: A dark fantasy set in an alternate version of 12th-century England, Once Was Willem follows the story of a young boy who dies and is brought back to life by a malevolent magician named Cardoc in exchange for a piece of the child’s soul. But when Willem—who has been dead for a year—returns as something mangled and less than human, his parents and village reject him as monstrous. But he may be the only hope for saving Cosham from the magician who made him in the first place.
Publisher’s Description: Eleven hundred and some years after the death of Christ, in the kingdom that had but recently begun to call itself England, I, Once Was Willem, rose from the dead to defeat a great evil facing the humble village of Cosham. The words enclosed herein are true.
I speak of monsters and magic, battle and bloodletting, and the crimes of desperate men. I speak also of secret things, of that which lies beneath us and that which impends above. By the time you come to the end of this account you will know the truth of your own life and death, the path laid out for your immortal soul, your origin and your inevitable end.
You will not thank me.
The Ragpicker King by Cassandra Clare
Release Date: March 4 from Del Ray
Why We’re Excited: The highly anticipated sequel to Cassandra Clare’s Sword Catcher will pick up in the wake of that book’s explosive cliffhanger, as Kel Saren is forced to work with the criminal overlord known as the Ragpicker King to solve the mystery of a massacre at the palace and protect the crown prince he’s sword to serve.
Publisher’s Description: Kel Saren, body double to Conor, crown prince of the dazzling city of Castellane, is caught between two worlds. In order to protect his beloved prince, Kel must find the culprits responsible for a massacre at the royal palace—and the only clues are held by the Ragpicker King, the notorious criminal who rules Castellane’s underworld. The trail Kel follows leads back to the Hill, where among decadent nobles and glittering parties a dark conspiracy to destroy the royal family has taken hold—a conspiracy headed up by the monstrous Artal Gremont, the man engaged to marry the woman Kel adores.
Meanwhile, Lin Caster must face the aftermath of the greatest risk she’s ever taken. To save the life of a dying friend, Lin has falsely claimed to be the Goddess Reborn, the legendary heroine destined to save her people. Now the terrifying—but strangely magnetic—leader of her people has arrived to test her powers. The price of failure is exile, and only through her alliance with the Ragpicker King can she continue to access the magic that may save her.
Then Prince Conor reappears in her life, demanding that she use her healing powers to cure the madness of his father, the King. Lin soon realizes the King is gripped by an ancient and terrible magic, one whose lure she cannot deny any more than she can deny her growing passion for Conor.
As the simmering tensions in Castellane reach a fever pitch, Lin and Kel must decide who to trust when any false move means death—or worse.
A Harvest of Hearts by Andrea Eames
Release Date: March 4 from Erewhon Books
Why We’re Excited: An offbeat fantasy set in a village where the residents sacrifices pieces of their hearts to sorceresses because they believe it is a necessary sacrifice to gain magical protection, A Harvest of Hearts follows the story of Foss, who finds herself “snagged” by the first male sorcerer and inexplicably bound to him. Determined to free herself, she sets off to search for a cure, and learns much more than she bargained for about both the origins of the parasitic heart theft and the uncomfortable choices often made in the name of safety.
Publisher’s Description: Everyone in Foss Butcher’s village knows what happens when the magic-workers come; they harvest human hearts to use in their spells. That’s just how life in her kingdom works. But Foss, plain, clumsy, and practical as a boot, never expected anyone would want hers.
When a sorcerer snags a piece of Foss’s heart without meaning to, she is furious. For once a heart is snagged, the experience is . . . well, unpleasant. So, Foss finds herself stomping toward the grand City to keep his enchanted House and demands that he fixes her before she keels over and dies, or whatever happens when hearts are Snagged.
But the sorcerer, Sylvester, is not what she expected. Petulant, idle, and new to his powers, Sylvester has no clue how to undo the heart-taking, or how to do much of anything really, apart from sulk. Foss’s only friend is a talking cat and even the House’s walls themselves have moods.
As Foss searches for a cure, she accidentally uncovers that there is much more to the heart-taking—and to the magic-workers themselves—than she could have ever imagined. . . .
Galaphile: The First Druids of Shannara by Terry Brooks
Release Date: March 11 from Del Ray
Why We’re Excited: Terry Brooks returns to the world of Shannara for this highly anticipated prequel that follows the story of the Elf who convened the first Druid Council at Paranor.
Publisher’s Description: One of the most iconic structures in the Four Lands is Paranor, the fortress home of the Druid Order. Legend holds that it was erected by an Elven leader known as Galaphile Joss. But who was this Galaphile, and how and why did he choose to establish this center of magic and learning?
Within these pages we meet the real Galaphile, following him from a friendless teenage orphan stranded in the Human world to a powerful adult and master mage, studying under the infamous recluse, Cogline. We learn of the forces that shaped him—those he loved, and those he lost; those who aided him, and those who stood against him.
Throughout it all, Galaphile’s goal is a noble one: to bring order to a chaotic world, and to make life better for those trying to survive it. To this end, he commences building the citadel which will one day be known as Paranor with the aid of the King of the Silver River. But there is one other who seeks dominion over the Four Lands—and for far less virtuous ends.
For this foe has been corrupted by an ancient evil—one that will not only reach out and touch Galaphile’s nearest and dearest, but also echo down through the centuries, sowing the seeds for some of the darkest times the Four Lands will ever face.
Idolfire by Grace Curtis
Release Date: March 11 from DAW
Why We’re Excited: A revenge-fueled road trip through a dead kingdom offers two women—reluctant allies who are distrustful of everything about one another from their origins to their motives—the chase to reclaim what was stolen from their respective peoples. Come for the sweeping historical exploration of a vast lost empire, stay for the achingly slow burn romance that develops between the leads.
Publisher’s Description: On one side of the world, Aleya Ana-Ulai is desperate for a chance. Her family have written her off as a mistake, but she’s determined to prove every last one of them wrong.
On the other, Kirby of Wall’s End is searching for redemption. An ancient curse tore her life apart, but to fix it, she’ll have to leave everything behind.
Fate sets them both on the path to Nivela, a city once poised to conquer the world with the power of a thousand stolen gods. Now the gates are closed and the old magic slumbers. Dead — or waiting for a spark to light it anew…
The Witch Who Trades with Death by C.M. Alongi
Release Date: March 11 from Angry Robot
Why We’re Excited: The story of a young witch desperate to escape the cruel emperor she’s forced to serve makes a deal with Death to survive—but every bargain takes a piece of her soul in the process.
Publisher’s Description: All witches must serve the cruel and immortal Emperor Yacatl. But after four years of terror and abuse, Khana not only kills one of his favorite courtiers with her magic, but also discovers the secret of his power and immortality: he’s been making deals with Death. And now, so is she.
Armed with magic that she doesn’t fully understand, Khana flees the empire and stumbles into a small mountain town filled with fierce warriors that ostracize her for being a witch, despite using her abilities to heal their sick and injured. There, her magic and courage are put to the test as she is forced to stop running and fight back against the emperor that wants her dead.
But every deal she makes with Death takes another piece of her soul. And there’s only so much Khana can give before she turns into the very monster she’s trying to destroy.
Blood Beneath the Snow by Alexandra Kennington
Release Date: March 11 from Ace
Why We’re Excited: A romantasy debut that mixes thrilling political intrigue, deadly competition, and a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance, this story of a rebellious princess born without magic in a kingdom obsessed with power, is full of the sort of classic tropes that will appeal to every kind of reader—and keep you turning pages well into the night.
Publisher’s Description: Revna is no stranger to struggle. As the only member of the royal family without a magical ability, she is seen as an embarrassing mistake by her kingdom and a blight on her bloodline. Luckily, Revna has found family in other outcasts in her kingdom. But when her two closest friends’ lives are put in danger, she is determined to save them by any means necessary, no matter the cost. The Bloodshed Trials—a competition where the last sibling in the royal family standing takes the throne—might just be the ultimate price.
Revna turns down her arranged marriage and commits to competing for the throne only to be kidnapped by the mysterious and terrifyingly powerful Hellbringer, the general of her country’s greatest enemy. He has the ability to rend souls with the flick of his wrist and is every inch as intimidating as the war stories say he is. But Revna wonders if there may be some humanity left in him—especially when he reveals there are other parties who want her on the throne for their own secret reasons.
The Prince Without Sorrow by Maithree Wijesekara
Release Date: March 18 from Harper Voyager
Why We’re Excited: This dark fantasy inspired by the Mauryan Empire of Ancient India is a crackling story of betrayal, ambition, and vengeance. A young witch breaks the non-violent rules of her order to punish an emperor who has persecuted and murdered her people and finds her story is inexplicably tied to that of his son. Political intrigue, romantic angst, and seemingly impossible choices abound.
Publisher’s Description: Prince Ashoka is the youngest son of the tyrannical Emperor Adil Maurya. Considered an outcast by his father for his rejection of the emperor’s brutal onslaught against the witches of the empire, Ashoka longs for change. When the sudden and unexpected death of his father leaves the monarchy in disarray, Ashoka is sent to govern a tumultuous region annexed by Emperor Adil that is terrorized by nature spirits—a task many see as doomed to fail. Suspected by a disdainful governor and evaded by distrustful witches, Ashoka must question his rigid ideals and fight against becoming the one person he despises the most—his father.
Shakti is a mayakari: a witch bound by a pacifist code. After witnessing the murder of her aunt and village at the hands of the emperor, Shakti hurtles down a path of revenge, casting a curse with unexpected consequences. Posing as a maidservant in the famed palace of the Mauryas and armed with newfound powers beyond her imagination, Shakti attempts to dismantle the monarchy from within by having the royal progeny ruin themselves and turn their father’s legacy into nothing but ash.
In a world where nature spirits roam the land, and witches are hunted to extinction, Ashoka and Shakti will be forced to grapple with the consequences of power: to take it for themselves or risk losing it completely.
The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn
Release Date: March 18 from St. Martin’s Griffin
Why We’re Excited: A witchy story of poison eaters, serial killers, and female rage that’s described as a mix of Practical Magic and Gone Girl? Sign me up!
Publisher’s Description: Piers Corbin has always had an affinity for poisonous things—plants and men. From the pokeweed berries she consumed at age five that led to the accidental death of a stranger, to the husband whose dark proclivities have become… concerning, poison has been at the heart of her story.
But when she fakes her own death in an attempt to escape her volatile marriage and goes to stay with her estranged great aunt in the mountains, she realizes her predilection is more than a hunger—it’s a birthright. Piers comes from a long line of poison eaters—Bane Witches—women who ingest deadly plants and use their magic to rid the world of evil men.
Piers sets out to earn her place in her family’s gritty but distinguished legacy, all while working at her Aunt Myrtle’s cafe and perpetuating a flirtation with the local, well-meaning sheriff to allay his suspicions on the body count she’s been leaving in her wake. But soon she catches the attention of someone else, a serial killer operating in the area. And that only means one thing—it’s time to feed.
Aunt Tigress by Emily Yu-Xuan Qin
Release Date: March 18 from DAW
Why We’re Excited: A classic urban fantasy that ingeniously blends elements of Chinese and Indigenous magic into its familiar tropes, Aunt Tigress is a wholly original tale that wrestles with themes of immigration, assimilation, heritage, and more.
Publisher’s Description: Tam hasn’t eaten anyone in years.
She is now Mama’s soft-spoken, vegan daughter—everything dangerous about her is cut out.
But when Tam’s estranged Aunt Tigress is found murdered and skinned, Tam inherits an undead fox in a shoebox, and an ensemble of old enemies.
The demons, the ghosts, the gods running coffee shops by the river? Fine. The tentacled thing stalking Tam across the city? Absolutely not. And when Tam realizes the girl she’s falling in love with might be yet another loose end from her past? That’s just the brassy, beautiful cherry on top.
Because no matter how quietly she lives, Tam can’t hide from her voracious upbringing, nor the suffering she caused. As she navigates romance, redemption, and the end of the world, she can’t help but wonder…
Do monsters even deserve happy endings?
Slaying the Vampire Conqueror by Carissa Broadbent
Release Date: March 25 from Bramble
Why We’re Excited: This standalone story set in author Carissa Broadbent’s wildly popular Crowns of Nyaxia universe follows the story of Sylina, an Arachessen sister sworn to ill in service of her goddess. Her latest mission: infiltrate his court and kill the Atrius, the vampire who conquered her country. But she finds herself undeniably drawn to him, she begins to question everything she once thought she believed.
(Fun fact: For those who are fans of Broadbent’s larger Nyaxia universe—Atrius is Septimus’s cousin, and if his story starts to sound familiar to you, it’s because it’s the same one he told Orya in the second book.)
Publisher’s Description: Sylina has sacrificed everything for her goddess–her soul, her freedom, her eyes. Life in service to the Arachessen, a cult of the Goddess of Fate, has turned Sylina from orphaned street rat to disciplined killer, determined to overthrow Glaea’s tyrannical king.
But when a brutal vampire conqueror arrives on their shores, Sylina faces an even deadlier adversary. She’s tasked with a crucial mission: infiltrate his army, earn his trust…and kill him.
Atrius is a terrifying warrior carving an unstoppable path through Glaea. Yet when Sylina becomes his seer, she glimpses a dark and shocking past–and a side of him that reminds her far too much of parts of herself she’d rather forget.
Sylina’s orders are clear. The conqueror cannot live. But as the blood spilled by Glaea’s tyrant king runs thicker, her connection with Atrius only grows stronger. A connection forbidden by her vows. A connection that could cost her everything.
Lacy Baugher Milas is the Books Editor at Paste Magazine, but loves nerding out about all sorts of pop culture. You can find her on Twitter and Bluesky at @LacyMB