March is here, what are you reading?

2026-03-06 - 12:38

Innamorata by Ava Reid is out on March 17. Once upon a time, seven noble houses used their mastery over necromancy to rule an island where the dead walked. But then a conqueror killed their lords, burnt their libraries, and extinguished their magic. Lady Agnes, cousin to the beautiful Marozia, heiress to the House of Teeth, has not spoken in seven years. And yet, her mind has not dulled. She has not stopped working behind the scenes, plotting to avenge her family and reclaim the secrets of their magic. Vital to her plan is Marozia’s betrothal to Liuprand. Agnes is arranging their union with the aim of gaining access to Liuprand’s forbidden library. Agnes should despise Liuprand. After all, the golden prince is heir to the Conqueror. He will feel the full brunt of Agnes’s vengeance. So why does her heart yearn for him? The reception to Innamorata has been mixed. However, those who love the novel can’t stop gushing about it. Green and Deadly Things by Jenn Lyons (March 3) is old-school fantasy (sort of). A long time ago, necromancy and the Grim Lords who wielded it nearly destroyed the world, or so history claims. Math serves a sacred order tasked with keeping necromancy from ever rearing its ugly head. The knight had little to fear. After all, only small vestiges of that ancient magic remained. But then a new monster awakened, and the Idallik knights were powerless against it, compelling Math to make a foolish decision. While the Grim Lords had long since perished, one still slept beneath the order’s fortress, a girl with incredible power whom Math had chosen to awaken. The book is a mixed bag; some categorize it as ‘Romantic Fantasy’, which may repel a portion of the fantasy fiction audience. However, the romance is one of the weakest parts of the novel. Also, the official synopsis makes Green and Deadly Things sound like ‘Gothic necromancy,’ which is inaccurate, even though the story features plant necromancers who turn people into plant zombies. That said, the world- building is strong enough to keep avid fantasy enthusiasts entertained. Daughter of Crows by Mark Lawrence (March 24) has already been touted by some as the best novel of 2026. The book takes readers to the Academy of Kindness, which turns students into agents of Justice in the service of the gods. A hundred girls enter the Academy every year. Only three survive the institution’s brutal tutelage to graduate ten years later. Rue is different because most children are sold to the Academy by desperate parents and guardians; Rue sold herself. The novel shifts back and forth between the heroine’s future as a seasoned warrior in her 60s and her past as a pre-teen navigating the Academy’s precarious halls. Audiences have compared this revenge tale to John Wick and Squid Game, commending Lawrence for creating a cruel world littered with likable characters living tragic lives. The Book of Fallen Leaves by A.S. Tamaki (March 17) is a Historical High Fantasy novel that some readers have compared to Shogun and Game of Thrones. Sen Hoshiakari was a prince who lost everything when his father’s rebellion failed. The exiled noble only survived his family’s violent fate because a peasant girl called Rui saved him. Now, Sen is determined to restore his family’s honour and their lands in an empire ravaged by demonic forces. The Book of Fallen Leaves has so many POVs, factions, and side characters that some readers thought it had a slow, messy, confusing start. But the novel escalates at a rapid pace, eventually delivering an epic conclusion that pays off the tension built by the previous chapters. And that should do for now. Happy reading! katmic200@gmail.com