My Most Anticipated Sapphic Novels for the Second Half of 2025
20 more upcoming sapphic books you need to add to your TBR.
How has 2025 gone by so fast? Someone once told me that you only really remember the second half of the year, so maybe that explains why I feel like 2025 just started. We’ve had a great run of sapphic books so far, with the release of great hits like Atmosphere: A Love Story by Taylor Jenkins Reid and Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab. We’ve also had some beautiful, lesser-known works such as either of Hiyodori’s newest releases or But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo.
The rest of 2025 is shaping up to be more consistent than—if not as explosive as—the first half of the year, with new works by Samantha Shannon, C.L. Clark, and Tasha Suri. At the end of the year, we’re also getting our first English-translated baihe (Chinese girl’s love) novel by translation juggernaut Seven Seas Entertainment, which I and many others are eagerly looking forward to. As always, my tastes lean toward speculative fiction, which is reflected in this list, though there are some exceptions.
Volatile Memory by Seth Haddon
July 22
There are some books you anticipate and some books you must have. Promising to be Ex Machina meets This is How You Lose the Time War (two of my absolute favorite things), Volatile Memory follows a down-on-her-luck scavenger who finds a sentient AI mask. The woman inside the MARK I HAWK is real, and she and her scavenger must set off to demand answers from the man who discarded her once before: her ex-husband.
The cover is gorgeous, the premise is brilliant, and the mystery is intriguing. I’ve always been drawn to stories that play with questions of consciousness and identity, and I’m hoping that’s exactly what we’ll be getting with Volatile Memory. I’m also curious to see how Wylla and HAWK’s relationship will develop: How will HAWK see Wylla as someone worthy of love, and vice versa?
The Elysium Heist by Y.M. Resnik
July 31
Psalome Shipmen is the Elysium’s highest earning hostess, stuck working endless hours to pay off the debt she inherited from her deadbeat, gambler father. Unless she can figure out how to rob the decadent, artificially intelligent, space casino she works at, she’ll have to endure years of service before she earns her way out. But if she pulls off the job, she’ll walk away free that very night. There are only some minor complications.
Psalome’s little sister is dating the Elysium’s artificial intelligence, and she’s struggling to reconcile her loyalty to Psalome with her desire to protect her romantic partner. At the same time, Psalome falls in love with a would-be divorcee whose abusive husband threatens to drag her back to their home planet as his property. If Psalome can’t find a way to keep everyone from self-imploding, she can kiss her freedom, her girlfriend, and her sister’s trust, goodbye.
Alchemy and a Cup of Tea by Rebecca Thorne
August 12
I’ve been really enjoying Rebecca Thorne’s Tomes & Tea series over the last two years, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it all ends in Alchemy and a Cup of Tea, the fourth and final novel. On the night of her kidnapping, all Reyna wanted was a relaxing cup of tea. She didn’t expect to be dropped in a hidden prison cell, but what the hells. She’s flexible. With appropriate fanfare, Kianthe “rescues” her wife...but what does a radical alchemist want with the Arcandor’s wife? And why did they think they could get away with this?
While they investigate, another problem surfaces in their hometown. Word of New Leaf Tomes and Tea―and its celebrity owners―has finally spread. Tourists are everywhere, harassing the locals and ruining the charm of Tawney. As their friends struggle with the sudden influx, Kianthe and Reyna have to face a bigger conundrum than rogue alchemists: the fact that closing their bookshop might be the only way to save their town. Things can’t just be simple, can they?
Lessons in Magic and Disaster by Charlie Jane Anders
August 19
In Lessons in Magic and Disaster, Charlie Jane Anders introduces a new world where a young witch teaches her mother how to do magic and, in doing so, reaffirms the importance of cross-generational healing and the power of love. Jamie is basically your average New England academic in-training—she has a strong queer relationship, an esoteric dissertation proposal, and inherited generational trauma. But she has one extraordinary secret: she's also a powerful witch.
Serena, Jamie's mother, has been hiding from the world in an old one-room schoolhouse for several years, grieving the death of her wife and the simultaneous explosion in her professional life. All she has left are memories. Now it's up to Jamie to understand the secrets left behind by a three-hundred-year-old magical book, unearth a long-buried scandal hinted therein, and learn the true nature of magic, before her mother ruins both of their lives.
The Last Soul Among Wolves by Melissa Caruso
August 19
I wasn’t hugely impressed by The Last Hour Between Worlds, which was released last year, but I’ll admit—the premise of The Last Soul Among Wolves has me curious and itching to dive back into the world. Eight potential heirs, three cursed relics, and the rule: one by one, the heirs will die. The prize for the lone survivor: A wish. And, as Kembral Thorne knows all too well, wishes are always bad business.
To save their friends, Kem and Rika must race against the clock and descend into other realities once more. But the mansion is full of old secrets and new schemes, and soon the game becomes far more dangerous—and more personal—than they could have imagined. The jury’s still out on whether I’ll get myself a copy of The Last Soul Among Wolves, but if nothing else, the synopsis promises that the novel will be anything but boring.
The Maiden and Her Monster by Maddie Martinez
September 9
If you love The Shape of Water (and all its queer variants), you’re not going to want to miss The Maiden and Her Monster. When a clergy girl wanders too close to the forest and Malka’s mother is accused of her murder, Malka strikes an impossible bargain with a zealot Ozmini priest. If she brings the monster out, he will spare her mother from execution.
Malka finds a monster, though not the one she expects: an inscrutable, disgraced golem who agrees to implicate herself, but only if Malka helps her fulfill a promise first and free the imprisoned rabbi who created her. But as a much more sinister threat unravels, Malka may be forced to endanger the one person she left home to save―and face her growing feelings for the very creature she was taught to fear.
Among the Burning Flowers by Samantha Shannon
September 16
By this point, Samantha Shannon’s The Roots of Chaos novels have achieved legendary status within the queer (and fantasy) community. These books are thick. Set after prequel The Roots of Chaos and before million-copy bestseller The Priory of the Orange Tree, Among the Burning Flowers promises to tell the story of the first sparks of danger that threaten to consume the world in The Priory of the Orange Tree.
It has been centuries since the Draconic Army took wing, almost extinguishing humankind. Marosa Vetalda is a prisoner in her own home, controlled by her cold father, King Sigoso. Over the mountains, her betrothed, Aubrecht Lievelyn, rules Mentendon in all but name. Together, they intend to usher in a better world. But the great wyrm Fýredel is stirring, and their lands will be the first to fall . . .
Ladies in Hating by Alexandra Vasti
September 23
Georgiana is a fallen noble, and Cat is the butcher’s daughter. As a teenager, Georgiana was infatuated with Catriona. Nearly a decade later, Georgiana is a disgraced but famous Gothic author, and she finds herself a rival in the enigmatic Lady Darling, whose plots appear to be pulled straight from Georgiana’s own manuscripts. When Georgiana attempts to unmask her enemy and potential plagiarist, she’s shocked to find out that Lady Darling is actually the pen name of her old infatuation.
I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of Ladies in Hating from St. Martin’s Griffin, and all I have to say is that you guys are not ready for how horny this book is. If you’re in the market for a sapphic regency romance with characters who have amazing chemistry, you’re going to love Ladies in Hating. The plot (not just the “plot”) and the supporting cast aren’t half-bad either.
Fate’s Bane by C.L. Clark
September 30
Somehow, author C.L. Clark is getting two sapphic books released on the same day, and if that isn’t a flex, I don’t know what is. The first of these is Fate’s Bane, a standalone fantasy novella that promises to be “a tragic sapphic adventure.”
For as long as she can remember, Agnir has lived among the enemy. When a burgeoning love for the chieftain's daughter lures them both to a hidden spring, a magic awakens in them that could bind the clans under one banner at last—or destroy any hope of peace.
The Sovereign by C.L. Clark
September 30
The Sovereign is the thrilling conclusion to C.L. Clark’s acclaimed Magic of the Lost trilogy, which follows the soldier Touraine and the princess Luca. To avoid spoilers for potential new readers, here’s a synopsis of the first book in the series:
Stolen as a child and raised to kill and die for the empire, Touraine’s only loyalty is to her fellow conscripts. Meanwhile, Luca needs a turncoat. Through assassinations and massacres, in bedrooms and war rooms, Touraine and Luca will haggle over the price of a nation. But some things aren't for sale.
Her Wicked Roots by Tanya Pell
October 7
If you’re looking for a debut horror novel and a queer retelling of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Rappacini’s Daughter,” Her Wicked Roots is your next read. In search of her missing brother Edward, Cordelia Beecher has fled the oppressive charity school she was raised in. Using clues from her brother’s past letters, she sets off for the sleepy town of Farrow, but everyone there claims to have never heard of Edward—not even the man he was supposedly working for as an apprentice.
With nowhere to go, Cordi turns to Lady Evangeline, a local botanist who owns the magnificent Edenfield estate. Hired as a maid and companion to Lady Evangeline’s enigmatic daughters, Prim and Briar, Cordi quickly settles into Edenfield. But even as her relationship with Briar blossoms, Cordi can’t help but suspect that there are secrets in the estate…and when she stumbles across evidence that Edward was once there, she’s determined to find answers.
Cinder House by Freya Marske
October 7
Freya Marske of Swordcrossed fame returns with a sapphic retelling of Cinderella in a queer Gothic romance perfect for fans of Naomi Novik and T. Kingfisher. In this world, Ella is a haunting. Murdered at sixteen, her ghost is furiously trapped in her father's house, invisible to everyone except her stepmother and stepsisters.
Until she forges a wary friendship with a fairy charm-seller, and makes a bargain for three nights of almost-living freedom. Freedom that means she can finally be seen. Danced with. Touched. You think you know Ella's story: the ball, the magical shoes, the handsome prince. You're halfway right, and all-the-way wrong.
My Lips, Her Voice by L. L. Madrid
October 14
Audrey and Mara’s grandmother was tormented by visions before she died, but no one listened. When Mara’s body is discovered in the old mine, Audrey fears her grandmother’s premonition is manifesting. Then Mara’s spirit returns—lurking under Audrey’s skin, hellbent on vengeance and desperate to rekindle things with her former girlfriend, Zadie. Willing to hijack Audrey’s body to get what she wants, Mara drags them both into a deadly pursuit.
When another girl in town goes missing, Audrey, Mara, and Zadie know the killer has struck again. In a fight to solve Mara’s death and uncover the mystery of disappearances in Copper City, the girls soon find themselves at war with each other. How do you survive long enough to hunt a murderer on the loose if the person inside you might kill you first?
The Keeper of Magical Things by Julie Leong
October 14
Following her bestselling debut novel The Teller of Small Fortunes, Julie Leong returns with another cozy fantasy about an almost-mage discovering friendship—and maybe something more—in the unlikeliest of places. When Certainty has the chance to earn her magehood via a seemingly straightforward assignment, she takes it. Nevermind that she’ll have to work with Mage Aurelia, the brilliant, unfairly attractive overachiever who’s managed to alienate everyone around her.
The two must transport minorly magical artifacts somewhere safe: Shpelling, the dullest, least magical village around. There, they must fix up an old warehouse, separate the gossipy teapots from the kind-of-flaming swords, corral an unruly little catdragon who has tagged along, and above all: avoid complications. Friendships blossom while Certainty and Aurelia work to make Shpelling the haven it could be. But magic is fickle—add attraction and it might spell trouble.
When They Burned the Butterfly by Wen-yi Lee
October 21
When They Burn the Butterfly has a fierce, glamorous cover—and I’m hoping that its contents will be just as fierce and glamorous when it releases later this year. Set in a reimagining of postcolonial Singapore (yes!!), loner schoolgirl Adeline Siow has never needed more company than the flame she can summon at her fingertips. But when her mother dies in a house fire with a butterfly seared onto her skin and Adeline hunts down a girl she saw in a back-alley barfight—a girl with a butterfly tattoo–she discovers she’s far from alone.
Ang Tian is a Red Butterfly: one of a gang of girls who came from nothing, sworn to a fire goddess and empowered to wreak vengeance on the men that abuse and underestimate them. Adeline’s mother led a double life as their elusive patron, Madam Butterfly. Now that she’s dead, Adeline’s bloodline is the sole thing sustaining the goddess. Between her search for her mother’s killer and the gang’s succession crisis, Adeline becomes quickly entangled with the girls’ dangerous world, and even more so with the charismatic Tian.
The Devil She Knows by Alexandria Bellefleur
October 21
Oh, I am so excited for this one. The Devil She Knows has exactly the kind of unique, campy premise I want out of my romance novels. In Alexandria Bellefleur’s newest novel, a down-on-her-luck woman makes a deal with a crafty demon to win back her ex-girlfriend after a proposal gone awry, only to discover the girl of her dreams might be the devil she knows.
Hell-bent to gather the last of the one thousand souls, Daphne grants each of Samantha’s wishes... with a twist, so that Samantha is forced to make another. But as Samantha’s wishes dwindle and Daphne offers her glimpses into the life she thought she wanted, the unlikely pair grows close. Perhaps the girl of Samantha’s dreams is actually the stuff of nightmares.
The Isle in the Silver Sea by Tasha Suri
October 21
Fresh off the conclusion to her The Burning Kingdoms trilogy, Tasha Suri returns with a longing-filled sapphic fantasy set in a world where knights and witches are fated to fall in love and doom each other over and over, the same tale retold over hundreds of lifetimes.
Simran is a witch of the woods. Vina is a knight of the Queen's court. When the two women begin to fall for each other, how can they surrender to their desires, when to give in is to destroy each other? As they seek a way to break the cycle, a mysterious assassin begins targeting tales like theirs. To survive, the two will need to write a story stronger than the one that fate has given to them.
The Beauty’s Blade by Feng Ren Zuo Shu
November 4
Here it is. Seven Seas Entertainment’s long-awaited first English translation of a baihe novel. Brash, brilliant, and beautiful, Fu Wanqing is an unconventional choice to inherit leadership of the most prestigious martial sect. Known for her fiery temper and formidable swordplay, there's only one person she considers a worthy rival: The enigmatic woman who leads the demonic sect, Yu Shengyan.
Eager to prove herself, Fu Wanqing challenges Yu Shengyan to a duel. But Yu Shengyan has no interest in such theatrics—until Fu Wanqing offers something she can't ignore: A rare medicine that might save one of her own. What begins as a strategic maneuver soon evolves into something more perilous, as rivalry gives way to unexpected intimacy. Fu Wanqing sought a duel—but is she prepared to fall in love?
Where There’s Room for Us by Hayley Kiyoko
November 4
American singer-songwriter, actress, and author Hayley Kiyoko returns with a new young adult novel set in a reimaged 1880s Victorian England where everyone is free to love whoever they choose. When her brother unexpectedly inherits an English estate, the outspoken and infamously daring poet, Ivy, swaps her lively New York life for the prim and proper world of high society, and quickly faces the challenges of its revered traditions–especially once she meets the most sought-after socialite of the courting season: Freya Tallon.
Freya’s life has always been mapped out for her: marry a wealthy lord, produce heirs, and protect the family’s noble status. But when she unexpectedly takes her sister’s place on a date with Ivy, everything changes. For the first time, she feels the kind of spark she’s always dreamed of. As Ivy and Freya’s connection deepens, both are caught between desire and duty. How much are they willing to risk to be true to themselves—and to each other?
Next Time Will Be Our Turn by Jesse Q. Sutanto
November 11
The author of the hilarious Vera Wong series following a sixty-year-old Chinese mother-turned-detective returns with a sweeping love story about the intergenerational struggle between identity and acceptance. Izzy Chen is dreading her family’s annual Chinese New Year celebration. So when her seventy-three-year-old glamorous and formidable grandmother walks in with a stunning woman on her arm and kisses her in front of everyone, it shakes Izzy to her core. She’d always considered herself the black sheep of the family for harboring similar feelings to the ones her Nainai just displayed.
Seeing herself in her teenage granddaughter's struggles with identity and acceptance, Magnolia Chen tells Izzy her own story, of how as a teen she was sent by her Indo-Chinese parents from Jakarta to Los Angeles for her education and fell in love with someone completely forbidden to her by both culture and gender norms—Ellery, an American college student who became Magnolia's best friend and the love of her life. Stretching across decades and continents, Magnolia's star-crossed love story reveals how life can take unexpected turns but ultimately lead you to exactly who you're meant to be.
Did I miss any of your most anticipated sapphic novels? Which of these upcoming releases caught your eye? Let me know in the comments!
Oooh didn't realize that Among the Burning Flowers was coming out already. Stunning cover as always with this series.
I adored Time War so will definitely be checking out Volatile Memory haha