Scroll down for the new Fantasy & Sci-Fi book releases of September 2021.
As always, I’ve picked some of the best new releases for you, so you know what’s coming and what you want to add to your reading list.
I didn’t read any new releases for this month. ‘Cause, well, I really needed to catch up on my reading (I still have some arcs to get to).
But, you can 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.
And hopefully you’ll find your next favorite book!
Sci-Fi YA
- Iron Widow (Iron Widow #1) by Xiran Jay Zhao: YA Historical Sci-Fi/Fantasy
- Steelstriker (Skyhunter #2) by Marie Lu: YA Dystopian Sci-Fi
- Your Life Has Been Delayed by Michelle I. Mason: Contemporary YA Sci-Fi, Time-travel
Sci-Fi Adult
- Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr: Adult Historical Sci-Fi/Fantasy
- Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki: Adult Sci-Fi Adventure
- Five Minds by Guy Morpuss: Adult Sci-Fi Crime Thriller
- The Autobiography of Mr. Spock (Star Trek Autobiographies) by Una McCormack: Adult Sci-Fi Adventure, Fictional Autobiography
Fantasy YA
- The Bronzed Beasts (The Gilded Wolves #3) by Roshani Chokshi: YA Historical Fantasy
- The Last Graduate (The Scholomance #2) by Naomi Novik: YA Urban Dark Fantasy, Horror
- Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain: YA Fantasy Thriller
- The Splendor by Breeana Shields: YA Urban Fantasy
- Among Thieves by M.J. Kuhn: YA Dark Fantasy Adventure, Heist
Fantasy Adult
- Empire of the Vampire (Empire of the Vampire #1) by Jay Kristoff: Dark Paranormal Urban Fantasy/Horror, Vampires
- The Wisdom of Crowds (The Age of Madness #3) by Joe Abercrombie: Dark Adult Sci-Fi Fantasy
- The Ex Hex (Ex Hex #1) by Erin Sterling: Contemporary Adult Fantasy Romance
- The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova: Adult Urban Paranormal Fantasy, Magical Realism
Fantasy & Sci-Fi Book Releases September 2021
Five Minds by Guy Morpuss
Genre: Adult Sci-Fi Crime Thriller
Pubdate: 2nd of September
Publisher: Viper
The Earth’s growing population has finally been controlled, with lifespans limited to eighty years. Except for those who choose to become a commune—five minds sharing one body, living for four hours at a time, but combined a lifespan of nearly 150 years.
Alex, Kate, Sierra, Ben, and Mike have already spent 25 years together as a commune. Together, they go to a Death Park where games are played in which extra lifespan can be gambled like money. They try to win time to upgrade their next host body, but then Kate accepts a dangerous offer, and one of them disappears.
Someone is trying to kill off members of the commune. But is it one of them, or is someone else playing a deadly game?
Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain
Genre: YA Fantasy Thriller
Pubdate: 7th of September
Publisher: Razorbill
La Cachette is the self-proclaimed Psychic Capital of the World—the place where 17-year-old Grey spends her summers. And the place where Elora Pellerin, Grey’s best friend, disappeared six months early.
Grey doesn’t believe Elora just vanished into thin air, and that nobody in a town full of psychics knows what happened. But as she starts to dig into the issue, she begins to realize everybody in town is hiding something. Even her grandmother Honey, her childhood crush Hart, and her late mother.
When suddenly a mysterious boy emerges from the bayou with links to Elora and the town’s bloody history, Grey realizes that the town’s past is far more present and dangerous than she’d ever understood.
Your Life Has Been Delayed by Michelle I. Mason
Genre: Contemporary YA Sci-Fi, Time-travel
Pubdate: 7th of September
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Jenny Waters boards her flight in 1995 and lands 25 years later. Everyone thought she and the other passengers were dead. Now she has to deal with her family and friends who are suddenly decades older, and she has to adjust to smartphones and social media. She feels betrayed by her once best friend and fights her attraction to a cut boy with an uncomfortable connection to her past. Meanwhile, there’s also a growing group of conspiracy theorists determined to prove the whole situation is a hoax. Can Jenny figure out how to more forward, or will she always be stuck in her past?
The Autobiography of Mr. Spock (Star Trek Autobiographies) by Una McCormack
Genre: Adult Sci-Fi Adventure, Fictional Autobiography
Pubdate: 7th of September
Publisher: Titan Books
Fans of Star Trek can rejoice with this book.
Here you can read the story of the Starfleet’s officer. The book is written in his voice, telling about his difficult childhood on the planet Vulcan as a half-human and half-Vulcan. He also talks about his controversial enrollment at Starfleet Academy, his adventures with Captain Kirk, his triumphs with the Klingons and Romulans, and his death and amazing resurrection. We meet the friends he’s made, the woman he loved, and all the highs and lows of a life and career that spanned a century. He might be an alien, but his struggle to find his place in the universe is one we can all relate to.
Among Thieves by M.J. Kuhn
Genre: YA Dark Fantasy Adventure, Heist
Pubdate: 7th of September
Publisher: Gallery / Saga Press
Ryia Cautella has earned herself a reputation as the quickest, deadliest blade in the dockside city of Carrowwick. But Ryia Cautella is not her real name.
For the past six years, a deadly secret has kept her in hiding, running from town to town, trying to stay ahead of the formidable Guildmaster—the sovereign ruler of the five kingdoms of Thamorr. However, her path now directly leads into the heart of the Guildmaster’s stronghold, forced to team up with a crew of assorted miscreants, smugglers, and thieves. If she succeeds in her plan, she’s finally free. But unfortunately, her new allies are nearly as selfish as she is, and they all have plans of their own.
The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova
Genre: Adult Urban Paranormal Fantasy, Magical Realism
Pubdate: 7th of September
Publisher: Atria Books
The Montoyas are sued to a life without explanations. They don’t question why the pantry never seems to run low or empty, or why their matriarch won’t ever leave their home. But when Orquídea Divina invites them to her funeral and to collect their inheritance, they hope to finally learn the secrets she has held onto so tightly. Instead, Orquídea is transformed, leaving them with more questions than answers.
Seven years later, Marimar, Rey, and Rhiannon are granted unexpected blessings. And soon, a hidden figure begins to tear through their family tree, picking them off one by one as it seeks to destory Orquídea’s line. Determined to save what’s left and to uncover the truth behind their inheritance, the four descendants travel to Ecuador, the place where Orquídea buried her secrets.
Empire of the Vampire (Empire of the Vampire #1) by Jay Kristoff
Genre: Dark Paranormal Urban Fantasy/Horror, Vampires
Pubdate: 14th of September
Publisher: Harper Voyager
I am totally beyond excited about this. I’ve only discovered Jay Kristoff’s books last year, but I just love his style of writing. And I just can’t see how this one can disappoint. I mean… dark and nasty vampires? Yes, please!
The creatures of the night have walked the day without fear for almost three decades. How? Well, the sun hasn’t come up in twenty-seven years. Humanity fought the cold blood legions once, but now they exist only in some scattered settlements. Gabriel de León is the last of the Silversaints, which is a holy order dedicated to defending the realm and church. He’s imprisoned for the murder of the vampiric king. The charge? Telling the story of his life.
It’s a tale of years, from his youth in the monastery of San Michon, to the forbidden love that spelled his undoing, and the betrayal that saw his order annihilated. And Gabriel tells the most important story of all: the Grail, a legendary cup that would bring an end to the eternal night. But the location is only known by a teenage urchin named Dior.
Dior and Gabriel forge an unbreakable bond, on a road to redemption. That is, until the Grail shattered. With the cup destroyed, and the last Silversaint awaiting execution, how can this undying empire come to an end?
The Wisdom of Crowds (The Age of Madness #3) by Joe Abercrombie
Genre: Dark Adult Sci-Fi Fantasy
Pubdate: 14th of September
Publisher: Gollancz
To change the world, you must first burn it down. It’s a thought that comes to the test in the crucible of revolution. The Breakers and Burners have seized the levers of power, and riot smoke replaces the smog of industry. With nothing left to lose, Citizen Brock wants to be a new hero for the new age. Citizeness Savine, on the other hand, needs to turn her talent from profit to survival to claw her way to redemption. Then there’s Orso, who is now the lowest of the low: a monarch. And in the bloody North, Rikke and her Protectorate are running out of allies, while Black Calder gathers his forces and plots revenge.
Iron Widow (Iron Widow #1) by Xiran Jay Zhao
Genre: YA Historical Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Pubdate: 21st of September
Publisher: Penguin Teen
The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn’t matter that the girls in question often die from the mental strain.
When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself as a concubine-pilot, her goal is to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister’s death. But she gets her vengeance in a completely unexpected way—she kills him through the psychic link between pilots, while she emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow, a much-feared kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises.
To tame her unnerving and yet invaluable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest male pilot in Huaxia. However, Zetian is not planning on missing an opportunity to leverage their combined might and infamy to survive attempt after attempt on her life, until she can figure out exactly why the pilot system works in its misogynist way—and stop more girls from being sacrificed.
The Bronzed Beasts (The Gilded Wolves #3) by Roshani Chokshi
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy
Pubdate: 21st of September
Publisher: Wednesday Books
After Séverin’s seeming betrayal, the crew is fractured. Enrique, Laila, Hypnos, and Zofia must find their way through the haunted waterways of Venice, Italy, to locate Séverin. Meanwhile, he must balance the deranged whims of the Patriarch of the Fallen House and discover the location of a temple beneath a plague island. Here, the Divine Lyre can be played and all he desires will happen.
With only ten days left until Laila expires, the crew faces plague pits and deadly masquerades, unearthly songs, and the shining steps of a temple with immense power to offer. But at a price they may not be willing to pay.
The Last Graduate (The Scholomance #2) by Naomi Novik
Genre: YA Dark Urban Fantasy, Horror
Pubdate: 28th of September
Publisher: Del Rey Books
El, Orion, and the other students face their final year at the Scholomance. The looming specter is graduation: a deadly ritual that leaves few students alive. But El is determined to see her group survive, but it seems to become harder by the day as the school ramps up its savagery. Until El realizes that to win the game, it sometimes means that rules should be thrown out.
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
Genre: Adult Historical Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Pubdate: 28th of September
Publisher: Scribner
Anna is a 13-year old orphan who lives inside the formidable walls of Constantinople. Restless, Anna learns to read, and finds a book with the story of Aethon—who longs to be turned into a bird so that he can fly to a utopian paradise in the sky. She reades the story to her ailing sister as the walls of her home are bombarded in the great siege. Outside of the walls is Omeir, a village boy, together with his oxen, his path and Anna’s destined to cross.
Five hundred years later, the octogenarian Zeno rehearses five children in a play adaptation of Aethon’s story. Among the library shelves is a bomb, planted by a troubled, idealistic teenager, Seymour. Another siege.
And in a not-so-distant future, on the interstellar ship Argos, is Konstance. She’s alone in a vault, copying the story of Aethon on scraps of sacking, as told to her by her father.
The Ex Hex (Ex Hex #1) by Erin Sterling
Genre: Contemporary Adult Fantasy Romance
Pubdate: 28th of September
Publisher: Avon
Nine years ago, Vivienne Jones nursed her broken heart like any young withc would: vodka, weepy music, bubble baths—and a curse on the ex. Of course, she knew she shouldn’t have done that, but she’s certain the curse won’t do anything worse than a bad hair day or two.
Until Rhys Penhallow, descendent of the town’s ancestors, breaker of hearts, and annoyingly still gorgeous, returns to Graves Glen. What should be a quick trip to recharge the town’s ley lines, extends into one calamity after another striking Rhys. And Vivi realizes her little Ex Hex may not have been completely harmless.
Suddenly, Graves Glen is under attack from murderous wind-up toys, a pissed-off ghost, and a talking cat with some interesting things to say. Vivi and Rhys have to ignore their chemistry to work together to saave the town and find a way to break the curse before it’s too late.
Steelstriker (Skyhunter #2) by Marie Lu
Genre: YA Dystopian Sci-Fi
Pubdate: 28th of September
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Talin was taught loyalty is life. Loyalty to the Shield who watches your back, the Strikers who risk their lives on the battlefield, and—most of all—to Mara, the last nation free from the Karensa Federation’s tyranny.
But Mara has fallen.
With Talin’s friends scattered by combat and her mother held captive by the Premier, Talin is forced to betray her fellow Strikers and her adopted homeland. She has to become the Federation’s most deadly war machine as their newest Skyhunter.
Red is no stranger to the Federation’s cruelty, but he knows this isn’t the end for Mara—or Talin. Even though their link is weak, it could be Talin and Red’s only hope to salvage their past and safeguard their future.
Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki
Genre: Adult Sci-Fi Adventure, LGBTQ
Pubdate: 28th of September
Publisher: Tor Books
Shizuka Satomi made a deal with the devil: to escape damnation, she must entice seven other violin prodigies to trade their souls for success. She’s already delivered six.
She finds her final candidate in Katrina Nguyen, a young transgender runaway with a wild talent. But then, in a donut shop, Shizuka meets Lan Tran, a retired starship captian, interstellar refugee, and mother of four. Shizuka doesn’t have time for crushes or coffee dates, but Lan’s kind smile might just redefine a soul’s worth. Maybe a warm donut is powerful enough to break a curse as vast as the California coastline.
The Splendor by Breeana Shields
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Pubdate: 28th of September
Publisher: Page Street Kids
The Splendor isn’t just a glamorous hotel—it’s a magical experience that gives its guests the fantasy fulfillment of their dreams.
But not for Juliette. The Splendor ruined her life.
After a weeklong stay, Juliette’s sister, Clare, returns from the hotel changed. The special bond they once shared has vanished. Hurt and frustrated, Julliette decides to visit The Splendor herself. When she arrives, she’s taken by the lush hotel, but as she delves deeper into the mystery of the place, and how they make their illusions work, she grows more and more uneasy. The Splendor has a seedy underbelly, but every time she gets close to discovery, she seems to hit a wall.
In the meantime, she meets Henri, an illusionist who works at the hotel. It’s his job to provide Juliette with the same Signature Experience he gives all the guests—one tailored fantasy. But as he gets to know her, he realizes he’s not only ill-equipped to make her dreams come true, he’s also the cause of her heartache.
Those were the Book Releases of September 2021
I hope you found some nice additions to your reading list among these best fantasy & sci-fi book releases of September 2021!
Which ones are you most excited about?
Let me know in the comments!
