Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. For this latest Top Ten Tuesday participants need to list their top anticipated releases for the second half of 2025. I am planning to do two versions of this list, one that will exclusively look at upcoming thrillers, crime fiction, historical fiction, and more, and this one that will focus on upcoming fantasy and science fiction books.
2025 has so far been a pretty amazing year for books (something I will cover in next week’s Top Ten Tuesday), with some outstanding and impressive novels coming out and blowing me away. However, the year is far from over and there are so many incredible and epic-sounding novels set for release in the second half of 2025. To fill out this list I have scoured my list of anticipated upcoming releases and tried to work out which of the books coming out between the start of July and the end of December I am most looking forward to. I already have a couple of these books in advance, but I think it’s worth including them here, especially as I still need to make time to read them.
I had initially intended to only do a single list featuring all the genres, however, I ended up with way too many awesome upcoming novels on my radar. So, to fairly feature them all, and to save myself from some hard decisions, I decided to split this post into two separate lists, starting with this one on fantasy and science fiction. I still had to cut out several impressive upcoming releases, but I was a lot happier with how these lists turned out, especially as I was able to feature so many epic upcoming reads that I am going to have the most fun reading. Due to how much potential that I think the entries on this list have, several have previously appeared in my weekly Waiting on Wednesday articles, as well as on my recent Winter TBR list. So let us get to my selections and find out which upcoming novels are my most anticipated fantasy and science fiction releases for the second half of 2025.
Honourable Mentions
Seven Recipes for Revolution by Ryan Rose – 22 July 2025
A cool fantasy debut with an interesting cooking theme that I have had my eye on for a while.
Katabasis by R. F. Kuang – 26 August 2025
A fantastic dive into academic hell from the acclaimed R. F. Kuang.
King Sorrow by Joe Hill – 28 October 2025
A very interesting upcoming book from Joe Hill that will see a group of friends suffer the consequences of summoning a dragon.
Warhammer 40,000: Voidscarred by Mike Brooks – announced for 2025
I’m very excited for the upcoming Warhammer novel by Mike Brooks that will set Aeldari Corsairs against Ork Freebooterz. Brooks is exceptional Warhammer 40,000 author, with books like Warboss, Da Big Dakka and The Lion: Son of the Forest really showcasing his talent, and I look forward to seeing this very fun upcoming book.
Top Ten List
Warhammer 40,000: Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok by Denny Flowers – 1 July 2025
There are several awesome Warhammer 40,000 novels still to come in 2025, but the one I’m currently most looking forward to is the epic novel Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok. Written by the very talented Denny Flowers who has previously impressed me with books like Outgunned (one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels) and Above and Beyond (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2024), Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok has a ton of hilarious potential as it dives into the most insane and diabolical “medical” practitioner amongst the brutal orks. I already know this is going to be a clever and very funny read (especially after seeing Flowers write ork characters in Da Red Gobbo Collection), and I cannot wait to see what insanity awaits in this cool upcoming book.
Stone and Sky by Ben Aaronovitch – 8 July 2025
The always outstanding Ben Aaronovitch returns to his iconic Rivers of London series with the compelling upcoming Stone and Sky. Part elaborate urban fantasy, part clever police procedural, Stone and Sky will see the series protagonist and his unusual family journey up to Scotland on a holiday, only to encounter a new supernatural mystery from the depths of the ocean. Set to feature another amazing and addictive story told in Aaronovitch’s distinctive style, Stone and Sky will likely be one of the most captivating fantasy novels of 2025 and I look forward to continuing the series.
Three Shattered Souls by Mai Corland – 15 July 2025
In the last year I have had an amazing time checking out the awesome fantasy novels of the Broken Blades trilogy by Mai Corland. Following several dangerous killers as they are forced to pull off impossible missions for a power-hungry king, the first two books, Five Broken Blades and Four Ruined Realms, have set up an outstanding story with some brilliant characters. Fans of this series will be getting a conclusion to the trilogy later this year with Three Shattered Souls, which should be particularly epic. I cannot wait to see how Corland wraps everything up, and I already know I’m going to love it, especially in its elaborate audiobook format.
The Last Soul Among Wolves by Melissa Caruso – 19 August 2025
Another great upcoming fantasy murder mystery novel I have my eye on is The Last Soul Among Wolves by Melissa Caruso. The sequel to Caruso’s amazing 2024 novel, The Last Hour Between Worlds, The Last Soul Among Wolves will see the series protagonist caught in a cursed mansion during a doomed will reading. Looking set to combine a classic murder mystery scenario with Caruso’s elaborate fantasy world, The Last Soul Among Wolves has a ton of potential and I cannot wait to check it out.
Born of an Iron Storm by Anthony Ryan – 26 August 2025
One of my favourite fantasy authors, Anthony Ryan, returns with the second book in his awesome Age of Wrath trilogy, Born of an Iron Storm. The amazing sound sequel to his 2024 novel, A Tide of Black Steel, Born of an Iron Storm will continue the elaborate adventures started in Ryan’s last book. Set to once again feature a cool Norse-inspired setting, compelling characters, and all manner of plots and conspiracies, Born of an Iron Storm sounds pretty damn incredible and I have no doubt this is going to be one of the better fantasy releases of 2025.
Cold War by Jonathan Maberry – 14 October 2025
The always impressive Jonathan Maberry continues to showcase his brilliant writing skills with Cold War, a fantastic upcoming follow-up to his 2024 dark science fiction novel, NecroTek. Pitting human scientists and soldiers trapped far away in space against ancient cosmic horrors, Cold War should be another gripping read, especially as the humans are fighting back using their powerful, death-powered alien mechs. Likely to be another particularly dark and haunting read, Cold War has the potential to be an incredible sequel, and I am very keen to check it out.
The Blackfire Blade by James Logan – 23 October 2025
Last year I had the very great pleasure of reading the outstanding fantasy debut, The Silverblood Promise by James Logan. An elaborate and compelling fantasy adventure that saw a young man travel to an unfamiliar city to try and uncover his father’s killer, The Silverblood Promise was an amazing read that blended cool worldbuilding with a great conspiracy storyline. I had a ton of fun with this first book from Logan, and I have been quite eager to get my hands on the sequel for a while now. Luckily, I only have to wait a few more months as Logan’s second book, The Blackfire Blade is one of the big fantasy releases of October. Continuing to follow the protagonist’s quest to find clues related to his father’s murder, The Blackfire Blade takes the reader to another elaborate fantasy city within the same realm and forces the characters to uncover the new setting’s dark secrets to get what they want. I have no doubt this is going to be an impressive book, and I cannot wait to see how Logan continues his amazing series.
Our Lady of Blades by Sebastien de Castell – 6 November 2025
One of the more impressive fantasy novels coming out later this year is the very cool novel, Our Lady of Blades. The next book in Sebastien de Castell’s The Court of Shadows series, Our Lady of Blades will be another standalone novel in the author’s Greatcoat universe, that will build on the previous novels Crucible of Chaos and Play of Shadows. Our Lady of Blades will explore a new location in this universe and will feature a The Count of Monte Cristo inspired plot, as a mysterious masked duellist returns to a corrupt city to get justice and restore her family through any means necessary, all while the big conspiracy of the series continues to unfold. Based on how exceptional the last two books in this series have been, I feel that Our Lady of Blades is going to be a top book of 2025, and it is one I am especially keen for.
The Strength of the Few by James Islington – 11 November 2025
Probably the most anticipated book for fantasy fans coming out in the second half of 2025 is the elaborate and intriguing novel, The Strength of the Few by James Islington. The sequel to Islington’s highly acclaimed The Will of the Many (one of my favourite books, audiobooks and Australian novels of 2023), The Strength of the Few, will continue to follow Islington’s compelling protagonist as he attempts to undermine the empire that destroyed his family, while uncovering the hidden secrets from the past. However, this book looks set to be even more complex as different versions of the protagonist are split amongst three separate worlds, each of whom must face its own troubles and adventures. I am extremely intrigued to see how this split narrative is going to work out but based on how damn exceptional The Will of the Many was, I have very little doubt this is going to be a particularly epic novel.
Star Wars: Master of Evil by Adam Christopher – 11 November 2025
The final book that I want to highlight on this list is the impressive and character-focussed Star Wars tie-in novel, Master of Evil by Adam Christopher. Set to follow Darth Vader during his early days as a Sith Lord, Master of Evil will provide some complex insights into this iconic villain’s mind as he attempts to uncover the true dark side of the Force. With a very cool plot idea, and an even more awesome cover, Master of Evil has certainly caught my attention, and I cannot wait to see Christopher’s take on this legendary Star Wars character.
That is the end of this list. I am extremely happy with how my latest Top Ten Tuesday article turned out, and this list contains an intriguing collection of upcoming fantasy and science fiction books that should prove to be incredible reads. I think that every one of the books I mentioned above has some amazing potential, and most, if not all, will probably end up with a full five-star rating from me. Make sure to also check out my next list where I dive into upcoming thrillers, crime fiction, historical fiction and more. Let me also know if any of the above interest you and let me know what your most anticipated releases for the next six months are in the comments below.