All-new Michael J Sullivan, Wesley Chu and two D&D books – these are the most exciting new fantasy books in August 2023
Dungeons, exiles and drow warriors. From classic high fantasy to fearsome urban mysteries and even Gorgons and ancient martial arts, these are some of the most anticipated new releases among the fantasy books of August 2023.
Complete with titles, release dates, authors, synopsis and links to pre-order and buy your favourite new fantasy book releases right now…
Awesome New Fantasy Books August 2023
Dragons of Fate
Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, 1 August 2023
Book 2 in the official D&D Dragonlance Destinies series. Dragons of Fate sees Destina Rosethorn and her companions propelled into the past due to the activation of the Graygem of Gargath, landing them in the era of Huma Dragonsbane and the Third Dragon War. Stranded without a functional time-travel device, they face the challenge of restoring history and preventing the Dark Queen’s victory. With battles raging and encounters with legendary figures, their ultimate goal is to return to their own timeline before it’s too late in Dragons of Fate.
Genres Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons, Dragonlance
Authors Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman Home Utah, US
Publisher Random House Worlds Buy it e-Book | Print | Audio
The Salt-Black Tree
Lilith Saintcrow, 8 August 2023
Book Two of the Dead God’s Heart duology. Nat Drozdova embarks on a perilous quest across the continent to retrieve the stolen Dead God’s Heart, the only hope to save her dying mother’s life. Along the way, she uncovers the truth about her own origins, realizing she has been deceived. Pursued by dangerous shadows and a vengeful god, Nat must navigate a treacherous landscape of ancient and new deities, facing impossible choices that could determine her fate and her mother’s survival in The Salt-Black Tree.
Genres Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Adult
Author Lilith Saintcrow Home Washington, US
Publisher Tor Books Buy it e-Book | Print | Audio
Medusa’s Sisters
Lauren JA Bear, 8 August 2023
Before becoming Gorgons, Medusa, Stheno, and Euryale were curious immortals seeking a sense of belonging in the mortal world. However, they found themselves entangled in a perilous Olympian rivalry, experiencing the violent nature of a god’s love. Diminished by poets and forgotten by history, the journey of these sisters unfolds from their sea-born origins to the outskirts of the pantheon in Lauren J. A. Bear’s Medusa’s Sisters.
Genres Fantasy, Mythology
Author Lauren JA Bear Home Seattle, US
Publisher Ace Buy it e-Book | Print | Audio
Esrahaddon
Michael J Sullivan, 15 August 2023
The conclusion of The Rise and Fall Trilogy. Esrahaddon – the enigmatic figure who allegedly destroyed the world’s greatest empire (though some believe he might have saved it) – is exiled to the wilderness. Pursued by a goblin priestess and condemned to death by a god – all before the age of eight. His survival and the enduring fear surrounding his name remain a baffling enigma until the truth is unveiled at last in Michael J. Sullivan’s Esrahaddon.
Genres Fantasy, High Fantasy
Author Michael J Sullivan Home Virginia, US
Publisher Riyria Enterprises, LLC Buy it e-Book | Print | Audio
Lolth’s Warrior
RA Salvatore, 15 August 2023
Book 3 in The Way of the Drow trilogy from D&D’s official Legend of Drizzt arc. In the drow city of Menzoberranzan, discontent brews as the legend of Drizzt Do’Urden, the escapee, spreads. The powerful house, led by the Matron Mother, questions the Spider Queen’s influence and the city’s history. As social tensions surge, an intense struggle emerges between the followers of Lolth’s chaotic evil and those seeking change. Drizzt Do’Urden can no longer stay on the sidelines in Lolth’s Warrior.
Genres Fantasy, Forgotten Realms, Dungeons and Dragons, Legend of Drizzt
Author RA Salvatore Home Leominster, Massachusetts, US
Publisher Harper Voyager Buy it e-Book | Print | Audio
Contrarian
LE Modesitt Jr, 15 August 2023
Book 3 in The Grand Illusion trilogy. In the midst of armed riots and protests, newly elected Councilor Steffan Dekkard faces challenges in a corrupt government. Being an Isolate grants him immunity from emotional manipulation, but he struggles with political inexperience and a lack of allies after the assassination of his patron, the Premier. As insurrectionists take control of a missing naval cruiser, Dekkard must navigate political infighting and assassination attempts while uncovering the truth in Contrarian.
Genres Fantasy, Steampunk
Author LE Modesitt Jr Home Cedar City, Utah, US
Publisher Tor Books Buy it e-Book | Print | Audio
Labyrinth’s Heart
MA Carrick, 17 August 2023
The final book in The Rook and Rose trilogy. Ren plans to pose as a noble’s lost daughter in Nadežra for wealth. She adopts multiple identities: Ren, a con artist; Renata, the Traementis heir; and Arenza, a political rebel. As the Black Rose vigilante, she fights alongside the Rook. Balancing these masks becomes difficult, especially as dark magic threatens to unravel the city. With allies Grey Serrado and Derossi Vargo, Ren must prevent a disaster that could expose her true self in Labyrinth’s Heart.
Genres Fantasy, High Fantasy, Adult, LGTBQ
Author MA Carrick Home San Francisco, US
Publisher Orbit Buy it e-Book | Print | Audio
House of Odysseus
Claire North, 22 August 2023
The final book in the two-part Songs of Penelope. On Ithaca, Queen Penelope faces challenges with the return of Orestes, the King of Mycenae, and his sister Elektra. Orestes is plagued by guilt for killing his mother, and Elektra seeks to protect him from ambitious men. Meanwhile, Penelope fears the destructive consequences of their presence. With the battle-hungry Menelaus seeking Orestes’ throne, Penelope must navigate political tensions and secret alliances, in Claire North’s House of Odysseus.
Genres Fantasy, Folklore, Ancient History Fiction
Author Claire North Home London, UK
Publisher Redhook Buy it e-Book | Print | Audio
The Council of Yoran
DK Holmberg, 22 August 2023
The final book in this twelve-part series, The Chain Breaker. Gavin and his allies struggle to identify the source of a dark power threatening the future. To protect what lies ahead, Gavin must piece together scattered knowledge. However, halting the danger may demand a sacrifice he’s reluctant to make. The Chain Breaker faces an insurmountable threat, leaving uncertainty about his successor in D. K. Holmberg’s The Council of Yoran.
Genres Fantasy, High Fantasy
Author D. K. Holmberg Home Minnesota, US
Publisher ASH Publishing Buy it e-Book
The Art of Destiny
Wesley Chu, 22 August 2023
In the second novel in The War Arts Saga, Jian a former chosen hero, seeks his own extraordinary destiny by teaming up with Taishi, his grandmaster, and a group of elderly grandmasters. Meanwhile, Qisami, an assassin on a secret mission, finds friendship and purpose with a new identity. Sali leads her exiled clan to a new home, realizing her potential as a leader and revolutionary in Wesley Chu’s The Art of Destiny.
Genres Fantasy, Adult, Epic Fantasy
Author Wesley Chu Home Los Angeles, US
Publisher Del Rey Buy it e-Book | Print | Audio
The Midnight Kingdom
Tara Sim, 22 August 2023
Book two in the Dark Gods trilogy. After a cataclysmic battle in Nexus, the noble heirs are scattered across four realms. Taesia and Nikolas are trapped in Noctus with a dangerous god of light seeking destruction. Risha navigates Mortri, the realm of death, to help wayward spirits and her friend Jas. Angelica remains in Vaega, hiding her sickness while striving to maintain order in Nexus in The Midnight Kingdom.
Genres Fantasy, High Fantasy, Adult, LGBTQ, Magic
Author Tara Sim Home California, US
Publisher Orbit Buy it e-Book | Print | Audio
The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle
TL Huchu, 29 August 2023
The finale in the Edinburgh Nights trilogy. At the worldwide Society of Skeptical Enquirers’ conference, fifteen-year-old ghost talker Ropa gets entangled in a locked room mystery as a valuable magical scroll goes missing. With the help of ghosts tied to the haunted castle, Ropa, Jomo, and Priya navigate secret politics and alliances to uncover the truth. Amid powerful wizards and unique characters, they work to solve the enigma and unravel the mystery in The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle.
Genres Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Mystery, Science Fiction
Author TL Huchu Home Edinburgh, UK
Publisher Tor Books Buy it e-Book | Print | Audio
The Water Outlaws
SL Huang, 22 August 2023
A retelling of one of the 4 great Chinese martial arts stories, Water Margin (translated). SL Huang’s stand-alone novel The Water Outlaws features disgraced royal weapons instructor Lin Chong who is recruited by a band of outlaws. A collection of thugs, thieves and smugglers who might just have what it takes to bring down a corrupt empire in SL Huang’s The Water Outlaws.
Genres Science Fiction Fantasy, Historical, LGBTQ, Adult, Retellings
Author SL Huang Home born Taiwan; lives San Francisco, US
Publisher Tor Buy it e Book | Print | Audio
He Who Drowned The World
Shelley Parker-Chan, 22 August 2023
The conclusion of The Radiant Emperor series. In a bid for power and the ultimate prize, Zhu Yuanzhang and Madam Zhang vie for the throne, each with their own ambitions and ruthless tactics. Unbeknownst to them, a new contender, Wang Baoxiang, lurks in the shadows, ready to unleash chaos and fulfil his dark desires. As the battle for supremacy intensifies, the contenders are willing to sacrifice everything, but the cost of victory may prove unbearable in Shelley Parker-Chan’s He Who Drowned the World.
Genres Science Fiction, Mythology, Alternative History
Author Shelley Parker-Chan Home Melbourne, Australia
Publisher Tor Books Buy it e-Book | Print | Audio
Guardian Of Torment
Michelle Manus, 29 August 2023
This book concludes the Nyx Fortuna four-part series. After dismantling the magic blocking her memories, Nyx finds her mind fractured, slipping through different points in her past. Just as she uncovers a lead on the Kumir assassins, her unstable mental state hinders her from joining her friends on a crucial mission. When a memory malfunction and portal magic mishap occur, Nyx is trapped in an alien metropolis, fighting for survival with her erratic memory as her only guide in Michelle Manus’s Guardian of Torment.
Genres Fantasy, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy
Author Michelle Manus Home Tempe, Arizona
Publisher Variant Publications Buy it e-Book
Plus: 13 Dark and Dreamy Fantasy Romances
Queens, curses, warriors and weakness. Lose yourself in these epic fantasy romance books in August.
And: 5 Awesome New LitRPG Adventures
Unstable space, long-lost siblings and countdown to extinction. Forge your own destiny in the incredible new LitRPG books in August.
Note: I try my best to get every bit of info I can, and will keep updating this page all the time. If you know of a book, author, show, channel or event that should be on this list, let me know at elvorne@scifixfantasy.com and I’ll make it happen.
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There’s a bit to explore already, and more coming soon. Enjoy!
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