Below you can find the 17 best fantasy & sci-fi book releases of August 2021!
Find some new great reads to take with you on your summer holiday.
Check out the different titles with genres in the overview, and click on the titles you’re interested in to jump to that book for more information.
The books I’ve read this month are Nolyn (Adult Epic Fantasy) and Light Chaser (Adult Sci-Fi Space Opera)
Sci-Fi YA
- Ashfall Legacy by Pittacus Lore: YA Adventure Sci-Fi
- Stowaway by John David Anderson: Middle-Grade Adventure Sci-Fi
Sci-Fi Adult
- Light Chaser by Peter F. Hamilton and Gareth L. Powell: Adult Sci-Fi Space Opera
- Feral Creatures (Hollow Kingdom #2) by Kira Jane Buxton: Adult Dystopian Sci-Fi/Fantasy
- The Other Me by Sarah Zachrich Jeng: Adult Contemporary Sci-Fi Thriller
- In the Watchful City by S. Qiouyi Lu: Adult Cyberpunk Sci-Fi
- Citadel (The Palladium Wars #3) by Marko Kloos: Adult Military Sci-Fi
Fantasy YA
- A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee: YA Fantasy Thriller, LGBTQ
- Forestborn (Forestborn #1) by Elayne Audrey Becker: YA Fairy Tale Fantasy
- Bad Witch Burning by Jessica Lewis: YA Urban Paranormal Fantasy
- Redemptor (Raybearer #2) by Jordan Ifueko: YA Epic Fantasy
- The Wild Ones by Nafiza Azad: YA Paranormal Fantasy, Witches
Fantasy Adult
- Nolyn (The Rise and Fall #1) by Michael J. Sullivan: Adult Epic Fantasy
- Kingdom of Shadow and Light (Fever #11) by Karen Marie Moning: Adult Paranormal Romance, Fairies
- Breaking Badger (Honey Badger Chronicles #4) by Shelly Laurenston: Adult Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance
- The Boy with Fire (The Ravence Trilogy #1) by Aparna Verma: Adult Epic Fantasy
- A Lady Who Looks Good When She’s Crying by Dan Ackerman: Adult Urban Mystery Fantasy
What I Read: Book Releases August 2021
Nolyn (The Rise and Fall #1) by Michael J. Sullivan
Genre: Adult Epic Fantasy
Pubdate: 3rd of August
Publisher: Grim Oak Press
After more than five hundred years of exile, Nolyn, the heir to the empyre, is weary about his reassignment to duty on the Goblin War’s front lines. He needs to rescue an outpost, leading to a dead-end canyon deep inside enemy territory. Someone went to a great deal of trouble planning his death to look like a casualty of war. Lucky for Nolyn, he got assigned with the Seventh Sikaria Auxiliary Squadron, real legendary soldiers. They might just make it out alive.
We mostly see the story from the perspective of Nolyn, who’s the above-mentioned heir, and Sephryn. Both are children of legendary people (whose story took place in the First Empire series if I’m not mistaken).
While Nolyn has to fight off the ghazel and get out alive with his squadron, Sephryn remains in the capital trying to bring more equality between the Instarya and humans.
But things take a dark turn when she comes home one day to find her nursemaid murdered, her baby stolen, and a voice in her head commanding her to steal a certain artifact if she ever wants to see her son again.
I loved both their storylines a lot. Nolyn’s story gave some great action scenes and the bonding between Nolyn and the squadron was a delight to read.
Sephryn’s story, on the other hand, made the racial issues in the empyre clearer and gives the reader a thrilling mystery to solve.
While there were a lot of things I loved about this book, I especially loved the ending. Everything comes together so well, and I just couldn’t put the story down anymore. I had to know how everything would conclude. And that conclusion didn’t disappoint.
If you love epic fantasy set in a rich world and just great writing, I’d highly recommend Nolyn.
Light Chaser by Peter F. Hamilton and Gareth L. Powell
Genre: Adult Sci-Fi Space Opera
Pubdate: 24th of August
Publisher: Tordotcom
Amahle is a Light Chaster, an explorer who travels the universe alone (except for their onboard AI), trading trinkets for life stories. When she listens to the stories, she hears the same voice talking directly to her from different times and on different worlds. She realizes something terrible is happening, and she is the only one who can do anything about it. And it will cost everything to put it right.
Light Chaser is a quick read, as it’s a novella. So, if you feel like reading a sci-fi adventure within an afternoon, this book will definitely give you that.
I did find the first chapter to be somewhat confusing. It seemed somewhat vague to me, and I didn’t know what was going on. I’m not sure why the authors went with that choice; I think it might’ve made more sense to put it near the end.
But the 2nd chapter made sense again, and from that point on it was a very enjoyable story. We get to see different types of planets with a variety of civilizations. I also liked the idea of the memory colars and the nudge it gave to reality tv.
The mystery part of it was also fun. As a reader, you’re questioning whether the voice is right and who Amahle can trust or not (and also who that voice actually is).
If you’re looking for a fun afternoon read where you’ll visit multiple planets along with a bit of mystery: Light Chaser is the book for you.
Fantasy & Sci-Fi Book Releases August 2021
A Lady Who Looks Good When She's Crying by Dan Ackerman
Genre: Adult Urban Mystery Fantasy
Pubdate: 1st of August
Publisher: Supposed Crimes
Angels shouldn’t be friends with demons, especially not ones they’ve been sent to assassinate. Sunshine probably isn’t a very good angel. The demon is Felix Specter, who has forgiven Sunshine for stabbing him all those years ago. He’s got a lot to deal with: a curse, his mental health, and a questionable love life. He also needs to find out if Sunshine owes the Devil a few favors. On top of it all, Sunshine and Specter have a case to solve. They handle issues human detectives can’t, like monsters in the sewer and runaway witches. So what could be different this time?
A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee
Genre: YA Fantasy Thriller, LGBTQ
Pubdate: 3rd of August
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Felicity Morrow used to call the campus perched in the Catskill mountains home, until the tragic death of her girlfriend. After a year away, she’s now returned to graduate. She even has her old room in Godwin House, the exclusive dormitory rumored to be haunted by the spirits of five Dalloway students—girls some say were witches—the Dalloway Five. Witchcraft is woven into Dalloway’s history, even though the school doesn’t talk about it. Before her girlfriend died, Felicity was drawn to the dark, but she’s determined to leave that behind her now; she just wants to focus on her thesis and graduate. But it’s hard when the occult history is everywhere, and when the new girl, Ellis Haley, won’t let her forget. When history begins to repeat itself, Felicity will have to face the darkness in Dalloway—and in herself.
The Wild Ones by Nafiza Azad
Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy, Witches
Pubdate: 3rd of August
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
The Wild Ones are girls who have been hurt, abandoned, and betrayed all their lives. It all started with Paheli, who was betrayed by her mother and sold to a man. But she escaped, and ran into a boy with stars in his eyes. The boy tossed Paheli a box of stars before disappearing. With the stars, she gained access to the Between, a place of pure magic and mystery. Now, Paheli collects girls like herself, and they use their magic to travel the world, helping the hopeless, and saving others from the fates they suffered. The Wild Ones learn that the boy who gave them the stars, Taraana, is in danger. He’s on the run from powerful forces, and if he is no longer safe and free, then neither are the Wild Ones. And that is a fate they refuse to accept.
Stowaway by John David Anderson
Genre: Middle-Grade Adventure Sci-Fi
Pubdate: 3rd of August
Publisher: Walden Pond Press
Scientists discover a rare and mysterious mineral buried in the Earth’s crust. It’s not long before aliens show up offering a promise of protection, some fabulous new technology, and entry into their intergalactic coalition—all in exchange for this precious resource. It’s so precious, the other alien forces are willing to start a war over it, which soon makes its way to earth.
Leo knows this all too well: his mother was killed in one such attack, and his father, a Coalition scientist, decides it’s best for them to leave Earth behind. On this expedition their ship is attacked, Leo’s father kidnapped, and Leo and his brother remain stranded in the middle of space. Their only change is for Leo to stow away on a strange ship of mercenary space pirates and beg the captain to help him find his father. But the road is dangerous, and pirates only look out for themselves. Who can Leo trust?
The Other Me by Sarah Zachrich Jeng
Genre: Adult Contemporary Sci-Fi Thriller
Pubdate: 10th of August
Publisher: Berkley Books
Her birthday should be like any other night. Except one minute Kelly is a free-spirited artist in Chicago, and the next she opens a door and mysteriously emerges in her Michigan hometown. Suddenly her life is unrecognizable, with twelve years of wrong memories in her head and suddenly married to Eric, a man she barely knew in high school. Wanting to get back to her old life, Kelly’s search only leads to more questions. She loves Eric (in this life) but everything she discovers about him tells her she shouldn’t trust him. On top of that, strange things keep happening. Her old tattoos reappear briefly on her skin, she remembers fights with Eric he says never happened, and her relationships with loved ones seem to change without warning. The closer Kelly gets to unraveling the mystery, the more her reality seems to shift. And if she can’t figure it out, the next change could cost her everything.
Citadel (The Palladium Wars #3) by Marko Kloos
Genre: Adult Military Sci-Fi
Pubdate: 10th of August
Publisher: 47North
The war should have been over—but not for a group of nationalists grabbing for control. After a missile with a nuclear warhead tore through the planetary defenses, Commander Dunstan Park of the Rhodian navy is picked to command an experimental cruiser. This could dictate the course of the escalating conflict; all he has to do is keep the ship from falling into the wrong hands.
A terrorist attack against civilians on Gertia draws Idina Chaudhary into a costly battle. In addition, the cautious Aden Jansen is forced back into the fray. He is even more careful to keep his past hidden, knowing that exposing his former alliance could twist not only his fate but also that of his sister, Solveig, heir to the family empire.
Ashfall Legacy by Pittacus Lore
Genre: YA Adventure Sci-Fi
Pubdate: 17th of August
Publisher: HarperCollins
Syd Chambers knows there’s life on other planets—he’s descended from it. His father was from a world called Denza and has been missing—presumed dead—for years. Then Syd discovers a device his father left behind, showing not only that he’s alive, but where he is. And so, Syd sets out on a mission. Along the way, however, he discovers a deadly secret that could destroy Denza, Earth, and the universe.
Redemptor (Raybearer #2) by Jordan Ifueko
Genre: YA Epic Fantasy
Pubdate: 17th of August
Publisher: Amulet Books
For the first time, an Empress Redemptor sits on Aritsar’s throne. Tarisai must now anoint a council of her own, to appease the sinister spirits of the dead and to come into her full power as a Raybearer. She has to descend into the Underworld, a sacrifice to end all future atrocities. Tarisai is determined to survive. However, months into her reign, child spirits haunt her, demanding that she pay for past sins of the empire. With the lives of loved ones on the line, assassination attempts from unknown quarters, and a handsome stranger she can’t quite trust—Tarisai fears the pressure may consume her. Will she die for justice? Or live for it?
Feral Creatures (Hollow Kingdom #2) by Kira Jane Buxton
Genre: Adult Dystopian Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Pubdate: 24th of August
Publisher: Grant Central Publishing
The planet is overrun by flesh-hungry beasts, and nature started to re-claim her territory from humankind. S.T., the intrepid American crow, alongside his bloodhound-beste Dennis, were on a quest to save pets that had become trapped in their homes after humanity died. However, S.T. came upon something rare, and he vowed to safeguard it, as it could well be humanity’s last hope for survival. But in a world plagued by prejudiced animals and new terrifying threats, what’s a crow to do?
Bad Witch Burning by Jessica Lewis
Genre: YA Urban Paranormal Fantasy
Pubdate: 24th of August
Publisher: Delacorte
Katrell doesn’t mind talking to the dead; she just wishes it made more money. What she makes from clients isn’t enough to support her unemployed mother and her deadbeat boyfriend-of-the-week. It gets worse when a ghost tells her to stop the summoning or she’ll burn everything down. Katrell calls their bluff though—she doesn’t have a choice. And when her next summoning accidentally raises someone from the dead, Katrell realizes that a live body is worth a lot more than a dead apparition. However, magic doesn’t come for free, and soon dark forces are closing in on Katrell. The further she goes, the more she risks the lives of herself and her loved ones. She has to choose: resign herself to poverty or confront the darkness before it’s too late.
Kingdom of Shadow and Light (Fever #11) by Karen Marie Moning
Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance, Fairies
Pubdate: 24th of August
Publisher: Dell Books
From the moment MacKayla Lane arrived in Dublin to hunt her sister’s murderer, she’s had to face one dangerous battle after the next. Now, as High Queen of the Fae, Mac faces her greatest challenge yet: ruling the very race she was born to hunt and kill—a race that wants her dead yesterday. Still, this becomes the least of her concerns when an ancient, deadly foe resurfaces, initiating a catastrophic sequence of events that have devastating consequences and leave Mac questioning everything she’s ever learned and everyone she’s ever loved.
Forestborn (Forestborn #1) by Elayne Audrey Becker
Genre: YA Fairy Tale Fantasy
Pubdate: 31st of August
Publisher: Tor Teen
Rora, a shifter as magical as those born in the wilderness, uses her abilities to spy for the king. She travels under different guises, listening for signs of trouble. Rora uncovers a devastating truth this way when a magical illness surfaces across the kingdom. Finley, the young prince and her best friend, has caught the illness. His only hope is stardust, the rarest of magical elements, found deep in the wilderness—a place she swore never to return. But for her only friend, Rora will face her past, journeying with her brother and the older prince who insists on coming. Together, they must survive sentient forests and creatures unknown, battling an ever-changing landscape while escaping human pursuers who want them dead.
Breaking Badger (Honey Badger Chronicles #4) by Shelly Laurenston
Genre: Adult Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance
Pubdate: 31st of August
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Finn Malone rescued a bunch of hard battling honey badgers on instinct. The Siberian tiger shifter just couldn’t bear to see his fellow shifters harmed. However, he can’t have a house full of the badgers when he has two brothers with no patience. Things get worse when the badgers rudely ejected from his home turn out to be the only ones who can help him solve a family tragedy. He’s not sure, however, if he can get back into the badgers’ good graces.
Mads knows her teammates aren’t about to forgive the rude cats, but she thinks Finn wasn’t so bad—and he’s cute! Her badger part understands Finn’s desire to avenge his father’s death—vengeance is her favorite pastime. So she helps him settle his family’s score, which also helps her avoid her own family drama. Fighting beside him is also kind of fun, especially when she can get in a hot and heavy snuggle with the utterly irresistible kitty-cat.
In the Watchful City by S. Qiouyi Lu
Genre: Adult Cyberpunk Sci-Fi, LGBTQ
Pubdate: 31st of August
Publisher: Tor.com
To surveil its inhabitants and maintain harmony, the city of Ora uses a complex network called the Gleaming. Tasked with watching over Ora’s citizens is Anima, one of the cloistered extrasensory humans. Although aer world is restricted to what ae can see and experience through the Gleaming, Anima takes pride in keeping Ora safe from harm. This changes when a mysterious visitor enters the city carrying a cabinet of curiosities from around the world, each with a story. Anima’s world expands beyond the borders of Ora to places ae never imagined to exist. Anima start to question aer purpose: what good is a city if it can’t protect its people?
The Boy with Fire (The Ravence Trilogy #1) by Aparna Verma
Genre: Adult Epic Fantasy
Pubdate: 31st of August
Publisher: New Degree Press
Yassan Knight was Arohassin’s most notorious assassin until a horrible accident—now he’s on the run. But when he seeks refuge with an old friend, he’s offered an irresistable deal: defend the heir of Ravence from the Arohassin, and earn his freedom. The heir? Elena Ravence—trained since birth in statecraft, warfare, and the desert ways, Elena knows she is ready for the throne. She only lacks the ability to hold Fire. She must learn it quickly before the coronation, or lose her kingdom. At the same time, Leo Ravence isn’t quite ready to give up the crown—there’s too much work still to be done, too many battles to be won. And when an ancient prophecy threatens to undo his lifetime of work, he wages war on the heavens themselves to protect his legacy.
Those were the Book Releases of August 2021
I hope you found some nice additions to your reading list among these best fantasy & sci-fi book releases of August 2021! Which ones are you most excited about? Let me know in the comments!
