The Fantasy Hive

We've reached the end of another year of amazing SFF, so what now? We look forward to the coming year of course! Gird your TBRs & settle in for our #MostAnticipated SFF releases of 2025! Happy New Year to you all, and happy new reading! More: tinyurl.com/ybmweazt

Happy Publication day Simon Kewin and his fourth instalment of his Office of the Witchfinder General series THE ORDER OF THE BRITISH VAMPIRE! To celebrate, Simon has written a piece about the origins of his series. Read more: tinyurl.com/4m3pz2kf @elsewhenpress @SimonKewin

Nils reviews the Korean epic fantasy BLOOD OF THE OLD KINGS by Sung-Il Kim, translated by Anton Hur: "thrilling... with an inventive magic system and filled with reluctant but compelling heroes" Read more: tinyurl.com/46mtxvu5 @orbitbooks @AntonHur @nilsreviewsit

Today Lucy reviews Jamie Mollart's dystopian sci-fi novel KINGS OF A DEAD WORLD: "the narrative and storyline is anything but generic or commonplace, with a twist I genuinely didn’t see coming" Read more: tinyurl.com/47h45cvh @jamiemollart @sandstonepress @lucy_nield1

Our Monster Botherer returns to a favourite monster this week - orcs - as she reviews Michelle Mills' monster romance ORCS DO IT BETTER: "Tropes were played with, the characters were so much fun and the setting was interesting" Read more: tinyurl.com/53am7435

Today, T.O Munro reviews Amy Lilwall's cli-fi novel THE WATER THAT MAY COME: "a sharply focused interrogation of the disparities of wealth and privilege in times of crisis" Read more: tinyurl.com/2zvhyax7 @fly_press @TOMunro

I received two fab sounding ARCs this week! King Sorrow by @joe_hill is a chunky fantasy novel featuring stolen rare books & a pact with a dragon! The Bone Raiders by @realjacksonford features a misfit band of characters who ride fire-breathing lizards to defend their homeland!

Jonathan reviews Michael Clune highly anticipated fiction debut, the psychological coming-of-age PAN: "as one might expect from such an erudite and mercurial mind, it’s brilliant, baffling, and utterly bonkers" Read more: tinyurl.com/mt4wsckz @vintagebooks

I’m reading The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell & loving it! ✅ haunted manor ✅ three different time periods ✅ unreliable narrator ✅ unsettling atmosphere I’m thrilled to receive an ARC of House of Splinters which is set in this same world! Thank you @BloomsburyBooks

We're thrilled to welcome Karin Lowachee to the Hive with a Guest Post exploring how she wrote and represents dragons in her novella trilogy The Crown of Ishia, the final instalment of which, A COVENANT OF ICE, is out 31st July from @Solarisbooks More: tinyurl.com/56ctzfh7

Today Cat reviews Jennifer K. Lambert's emotional fantasy romance debut NEVER THE ROSES: "Gentle, powerful and heartfelt, this is original fantasy at its best." Read more: tinyurl.com/565mu4th @BrambleRomance @torbooks @druid_cat

Nils returns to Megan Bannen's world of Tanria for her fantasy rom-com THE UNDERCUTTING OF ROSIE AND ADAM: "a wholesomely romantic and bizarre feast for us fans" Read more: tinyurl.com/cr9htkzy @orbitbooks

Today, Emma our Monster Botherer reviews Emily Antoinette's shifter romance LOVE IS TRASH IN HALLOW'S COVE: "It’s a trash-panda shifter romance. Yes it’s as unhinged as it sounds." Read more: tinyurl.com/bumv5rnk

My current read is Blood of the Old Kings by Sung-il Kim, translated by @AntonHur—I’m hooked! Our main protagonists Loran, Cain & Arienne are on separate missions each SO compelling The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell will be my next read & I’m expecting a creepy gothic tale!

Today we are thrilled to welcome Stark Holborn back to the Hive and have the opportunity to reveal the cover for her upcoming novella FOR THE ROAD Cover art by Ashni Wilson Read more: tinyurl.com/mr3kxkjn

A very happy book birthday to Sara Hashem The Jasad Crown is out today from @orbitbooks 🥳 I absolutely loved The Jasad Heir and I’m looking forward to getting back to our unhinged main protagonist Sylvia and the rest of the characters to see how this duology concludes!

Vinay reviews Michael Nayak's contagion thriller SYMBIOTE: "The book is pretty much unputdownable" Read more: tinyurl.com/574dw7up @angryrobotbooks @vinayvasan

Today Nils interview Sarah Beth Durst on her sequel to The Spellshop, THE ENCHANTED GARDEN - out this week from Tor! "I love the idea of connected standalones—same world, same vibe, but different stories" Read more: tinyurl.com/yxn8e6r8 @torbooks @sarahbethdurst

Woohoo got the ARC approved for #IronRoad by David Wragg - thanks to @HarperCollins @NetGalley Cant wait to read about Ree & Javani's journeys pan out in this trilogy capper

Jonathan reviews Natalia Theodoridou's debut horror novel SOUR CHERRY: "Like Angela Carter or Tanith Lee, Theodoridou has written a fairy tale that cuts right to the heart of why we tell fairy tales" Read more: tinyurl.com/3csfc66r @headlinepg @JonathanThornt2

Today we're thrilled to welcome Leigh Radford to the Hive! Leigh recommends her top four favourite femgore novels ahead of the release of her own debut novel ONE YELLOW EYE Read more: tinyurl.com/mrydr944 @TorNightfire