The Indie Author Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror New Release List: July 2026
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Inquisitors: A Tale of Love and Damnation by Paul G. Zareith: Available July 1, 2026
A Standalone Novella
Subgenre(s): Seaside Gothic, Grimdark, Eldritch Horror, Lovecraftian Horror
The wars of old against the tide-caller cultists have left Inquisitor Vorain crippled and forlorn. Over the decades of commanding the dark tower, he has found his life fading into obscurity. But that changes when a mysterious presence begins to interfere with his investigation in the shadows of the night.
Once feared, now forgotten, Vorain has long relinquished his yearnings for affection. But after seeing the gruesome handiwork of an unknown outsider, something warm begins to unexpectedly blossom in his heart once again.
The Final Chronicle of Yeneh by Jo Miles: Available July 7, 2026
Subgenre(s): Science Fantasy
Step into a portal fantasy wrapped in a wondrous science fiction adventure!
Lady Ada Quintrall, heir to her grandfather the Duke of Corbridge, wants nothing more than to see her family’s new planet successfully terraformed, restoring their fortune and ensuring them a stable future. That means shutting away her whimsical side (including the beloved Chronicles of Yeneh, a children’s portal fantasy written by her own ancestor)—and refusing the requests of Dr. Zamora, the xenobiologist who is begging to study the planet’s native life before it’s driven extinct.
Ada’s own encounters with the native life are vicious and unsettling. But when Zamora trespasses into an Infested Zone, Ada goes after him and discovers the astonishing truth: Not only does this planet have native sentient life, but those beings share a connection to her family that’s older, deeper, and closer to her heart than she could have imagined.
Monsters Among Us: Teenage Wasteland by Michael Spearwater: Available July 9, 2026
Subgenre(s): Creature Feature
The town of Alder, ID, is slowly being infiltrated by strangely amorphous little creatures that make use of any objects they come across to disguise themselves in plain sight. Two high-school burnout cases, JB and Regina, find this out by accident, capturing a monster in the shape of a trash can and bringing it home to film for hopeful internet celebrity. It’s all fun and games until someone gets eaten.
As the two of them work to flush out and eliminate the surprise menace, the more apparent it becomes that they can’t trust anything they see. Even as they and their friends fight to understand and contain the sudden plague of bloodthirsty bric-a-brac, the creatures are growing larger and more coordinated as well. Thank goodness they’re still dumb as balls, but that doesn’t help when your attention slips at a critical moment and a toaster tries to take your hand off.
The Stars Will Be Our Ocean by Lizzie Blackwood: Available July 14, 2026
Subgenre(s): Romance
First contact with the vast spacefaring empire of the Reshketh seemed like a miraculous boon for Humanity, trapped on a dying Earth. But in pursuit of an alliance, something has gone terribly wrong, and it’s up to cultural advisor Jenna Kalandra to figure out why before it’s too late. The only problems are that she has no information, no connections, and her own Ambassador hates her just for existing.
Jenna isn’t one to give up easily, but she’ll need the help of a mischievous AI, an inventive Human tech, her no-nonsense ex-girlfriend, and one charmingly unprofessional Reshketh security guard named Tarek to survive her Ambassador’s wrath. Can these misfits find a way to save the alliance (and themselves) before prejudice dooms Humanity? And can Jenna’s friendship with the roguish Reshketh become something deeper when no one knows who to trust?
Lost Tales from the Borun-Ma: Wolves Howling in the Dark by Ruth Miranda: Available July 15, 2026
The Borun-Ma, Volume 3, Book 2
Subgenre(s): Danmei
Before becoming the Demon Lord of the Sixhen-Zha, Shai Tan was the youngest son of the King of Chan’Dhu, where he led a carefree, privileged, sheltered life. When his eldest sister decides to take the throne, decimating the Royal Family, he finds himself on the run with his twin sister. For two years, they struggle to survive, until only one of them can live. After his sister’s sacrifice, Shai Tan’s forced to cross to another world, followed by the queen’s minions who are sent to take his life. Alone and severely wounded, he believes the end to be near, until the sound of howling wolves announces salvation in the form of a woman with more power and magic than he could have expected…
Follow Shai Tan’s steps in the Borun-Ma and unravel the secrets of his past and Nan Jun’s, and what ties them together.
This post will be updated when preorder/purchasing links become available.
He Who Ate the Wild by G.J. Terral: Available July 24, 2026
Subgenre(s): Coming of Age Fantasy, Anime-Inspired
Note: This book was originally listed in the June 2026 release list, but removed when the publication date was pushed back. It will be available July 24.
I have grown hungry. Grief no longer nourishes me. I will eat the wild.
Whisper your prayers, light your candles, watch your steps, cherish your life, and— most importantly— never let the spirits hear your name.
These were his mother’s rules before she disappeared. And Kazuki followed them, even when his father was ripped apart by a malevolent spirit. When he decides to go in search of his mother, an encounter with a corrupted bear leaves him weak, wounded, and worst of all, tainted.
With her rules and his father’s sword, he ventures north into the unknown. Demons, spirits, and gods all haunt his steps, and the closer he gets to the truth, the further from himself he becomes. His name forgotten.
Can he find his mother, or will the wild consume him?
Blade Reforged by Niranjan: Available July 26, 2026
The Echelon, Book 2
Subgenre(s): Queer Political Fantasy
A desperate plan. A dying man. A bond that defies logic.
Lucian’s apparent defection has Sylvester, Astra, and Alaric scrambling to make plans. Alaric goes to Sarian to save Lucian and bring him back, but he only has a few days. If he fails, the king will order to have Lucian executed.
All is not well in Sarian however, and Lucian learns that the people of Sarian only want freedom from their tyrannical ruler and their plans. They’re more than willing to rebel, but a servitude curse prevents them from harming their masters.
When Serenian assassins target the King and their queen decides to use dragons to attack Castrial, both Lucian and Alaric have to work together to save both Castrial and Sarian. But Lucian’s days are already numbered, and the Serenians are unable to help. Can Alaric find a way to save Lucian and to end the servitude curse before Sarian launches its army of dragons against Castrial?
When Yesterday Ends by S. Jean: Available July 28, 2026
Subgenre(s): Cozy Fantasy
Nettles Hollow is as good a place as any to restart your life. At least, Ambrose Howl hopes so after his life falls apart.
The town’s got everything he needs: a general store carrying his favorite cigarettes, a library he could get lost in, and a hedge witch who immediately befriends him. He settles in as an herbalist, using the knowledge he’d gained from academia that he’d left behind, and for once in his life, he feels like he could be content. It’s not so bad living in some rural, far-flung town.
Until he’s visited and kidnapped by the skeleton valet of Renwick Frey, a fey lord living in hiding who is cursed to eat human hearts every five summers to remain alive. As his next victim, Ambrose saves himself by making the desperate claim of knowing how to break curses. Renwick is charmed enough to let him try, but if Ambrose can’t break the curse by summer’s end, then his heart is forfeit.
The problem? He’s never broken a curse in his life, and given the mysterious circumstances of this one, he might even die before summer ends.
Calliope Street by Josh Hanson: Available July 29, 2026
This title will be released simultaneously in the UK by Black Crow Books as House on Blood Street.
Calliope Street is a psychedelic horror novel reminiscent of Burnt Offerings by Robert Marasco, T. Kingfisher’s A House with Good Bones, and Dario Argento’s surreal horror film Suspiria.
Jack and Avery’s new home on Calliope Street is a fixer-upper’s dream. The lurid collage of pornographic clippings on the basement wall seems like a quirky (and campy) feature. But once the house awakens, what seemed harmless becomes as horrifying as the blood seeping from the carpet. The house is alive. It is intelligent. And it demands homage.
Inspired by the surreal and graphic films of the Italian maestros as well as a meditation on obsession and the relationship between tragedy and art, Calliope Street evokes the myth of Orpheus and Euridice, mixing art, love, and death into a modern take on the haunted house.
Requiem of Dice by Timothy Wolff: Available July 31, 2026
Subgenre(s): Grimdark
War is the perfect addiction, for the demand for violence creates its own supply.
With her final remnants of gold, Dessie makes one last ditch effort to win big and settle her debts in the gambling dens of Roppa. Instead, she comes across Prince Alexander, who offers to fix her monetary woes if she agrees to spy on followers of Mesonoxia, the spider goddess. Dessie finds not only a cult, but royalty from a neighboring kingdom. Any wrong move could lead to war, an outcome neither side can afford with the Silent Almighty making his way across the ocean with one simple message:
Bestow upon me your pain, your illness, your sorrow. Silence will absolve them all.
If you have an upcoming title that you’d like to have featured on the new release list, please fill out the form here: Indie SF/F/Horror New Release Feature