Tuesday Tomorrow
The Cyprian by Mercedes Lackey
Published by: DAW
Publication Date: December 30th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A cozy, cottage-core Regency fantasy perfect for fans of Bridgerton.
Elena Whitstone and her seven brothers, abandoned by her mother, find themselves with a new stepmother. At first she seems more neglectful than evil, until just after Christmas she proves herself to be worse than evil; she is an actual magician, a Master of Water, who attempts to murder Elena's seven brothers when they are skating. When they survive that attempt by transforming into swans, she drives them away.
But the shock of having all of his heirs perish in a frozen pond is too much for Elena's father. He dies, and his widow is abruptly confronted with the inconvenient truth that the estate is entailed, and she not only must leave, she is lawfully in charge of Elena.
Furious, and possessing "only" what was gifted to her during her marriage, the stepmother retreats to Bath, to take up residence in the luxurious townhouse that was bought for her, and resume her former profession as a "Cyprian," a very exclusive courtesan, with Elena reluctantly posing as a page-boy and her servant. Nothing lasts forever, of course, and three years later, Elena is rapidly maturing too much to continue that ruse - and the stepmother is facing the ravages of time. The stepmother concocts a plan to establish an exclusive brothel and regain her wealth by selling Elena to the highest bidder.
Alone, Elena must not only find a way to save herself, but to reverse the spell that has transformed her brothers.
The latest in Mercedes Lackey's Elemental Masters series is a stand-alone romantasy based on Hans Christian Anderson's The Wild Swans."
To end the year with some new Regency Magic is just the kind of good omen I need for the coming year.
Tea and Alchemy by Sharon Lynn Fisher
Published by: 47north
Publication Date: December 30th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 299 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A tea leaf reader in nineteenth-century England falls in love - and in danger - with a reclusive alchemist in an enthralling historical fantasy by the author of Salt and Broom and Grimm Curiosities.
Cornwall, 1854. The people of Roche have always whispered about the recluse in the black granite tower that looms above the moorland. But one young woman is driven to discover the truth behind the old tales.
Her life overshadowed by family tragedy, Mina Penrose escapes her lonely days by working at The Magpie, a cozy tearoom on the village's edge. Lately she's been seeing shapes in the sodden leaves that hint at the future. After one such omen, Mina stumbles upon a murdered man on the heath. Villagers immediately suspect Harker Tregarrick, a living, breathing mystery who never ventures beyond the bounds of his centuries-old estate.
Until the day after the murder, when the handsome and compelling recluse visits The Magpie...leading to a meeting that will change both their fates. Captivated by a man around whom danger and rumors of death swirl, Mina has never felt more alive. Can she uncover Harker's heartbreaking history - and the truth about the murder - before tragedy strikes again?"
Gothic Cornwall? Daphne du Maurier would approve!
An Arcane Inheritance by Kamilah Cole
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: December 30th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A modern-day dark academia fantasy with a twist, perfect for fans of Babel and A Deadly Education.
Warren University has stood amongst the ivy elite for centuries, built on the bones - and forbidden magic - of its most prized BIPOC students...hiding the rot of a secret society that will do anything to keep their own powers burning bright. No matter who they must sacrifice along the way.
Ellory Morgan is determined to prove that she belongs at Warren University, an ivy league school whose history is deeply linked to occult rumors and dark secrets. But as she settles into her Freshman year, something about the ornate buildings and shadowy paths feels strangely...familiar. And, with every passing day, that sense of déjà vu grows increasingly sinister.
Despite all logic, despite all reason, despite all the rules of reality, Ellory knows one thing to be true: she has been here before. And if she can't convince brooding legacy student Hudson Graves to help her remember a past that seems determined to slip through her fingers as if by some insidious magic...this time, she may lose herself for good."
Dark academia with déjà ? Yes please and more!
Crime Rangoon by Vivien Chien
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: December 30th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"It's stranger than fiction when Lana Lee investigates a murder that mimics the plot of a bestselling mystery, working together with her detective boyfriend for the first time ever.
Cindy Kwan, owner of Asia Village's bookshop, The Modern Scroll, is privileged to host best-selling author, Charlene Chan for a signing in honor of the writer's latest book, The Mystery of General Tso.
Lana Lee is equally excited for the appearance of her favorite author and even more so when Cindy asks her to be Charlene's "handler" for the event. Taking her duties very seriously, Lana stays by the side of the prominent author to assist in anything that she might need.
With a line out the door and stretched through the plaza, Cindy is overjoyed at what a success this is for her shop. But, unfortunately for Cindy, her success comes with a price: the author is found dead in the mystery aisle, clutching a copy of her own book. Coincidentally the book's plot matches the details of the murder.
Lana's boyfriend, Detective Adam Trudeau, is charged with leading the case investigation, but finds himself overwhelmed when he realizes just how much of the book series is mimicked in reality. For the first time in their relationship, Adam calls on Lana to partner up with him to help solve the case. The couple must work through the novel to outwit the murderer, stay one step ahead, and beat the die-hard fan to the last chapter."
I really think Jessica Fletcher would approve of this one.
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