Cover Reveal News Round-Up, Including Books By Edward Ashton, A. J. Ryan, Sebastien de Castell, And Rick Riordan & Kyle Lukoff

September has come and gone, and I still haven't woken myself up yet... as one of those famous songs goes--or at least, that's how I choose to interpret it. I still feel I'm in a daze and October is a foreign concept to me. One thing I will not miss though is giving you the new edition of Cover Reveal News Round-up. In this slate we have a sequel by Edward Ashton, the pseudonymous A. J. Ryan, and Rick Riordan & Kyle Lukoff; and companion stories by Sebastien de Castell.

Mickey Prime by Edward Ashton

Synopsis

The latest novel in the Mickey7 series, the inspiration behind the Bong Joon Ho film Mickey 17, starring Robert Pattinson and Naomi Ackie

Mickey Barnes is an ex-Expendable. For the past five years he's spent his time at peace instead of mucking around inside active reactor cores and getting dissected by creepers. When a sudden, virulent plague strikes the fledgling human colony on Niflheim, though, he's forced to return to his old job, expected to die and be replaced as many times as necessary to find a cure. Funny thing, though. Despite the best efforts of the colony's medical team, Mickey seems to be the only person unable to contract the bug. As more and more colonists sicken and die and the colony spirals into panic, Command is forced to contemplate Reset-sterilizing the colony completely to eradicate the plague.

No matter how bad things get, Mickey can't let that happen. He has a daughter of his own now, and even if he has to die a hundred times in a hundred different ways, he's determined to find a way to make sure that she survives. It's a lot, but after all, Mickey's already died seven times. After that, how hard could this be?

Mickey Prime by Edward Ashton will be released on February 25, 2027.

Reapers by A. J. Ryan

Synopsis

Internationally bestselling author Anthony Ryan - writing as A. J. Ryan - delivers a nerve-shredding horror novel set in a world where an implant has caused millions of people to lose their humanity - with terrifying consequences.

Cortexia's neural implant changed the world. Stress, anxiety, depression - eradicated. Millions of people able to live their best lives.

Then came the Glitch: a digital shockwave that affected every implanted person. Those who didn't die lost their minds instead. Some became vacant, others violent and deranged. Civilisation collapsed overnight.

For former convict Dalton, this brought opportunity. As a Reaper, he ventures into quarantine zones to scavenge implants from the glitched - whether they're dead or alive. Every batch he sends to his employer brings him a step closer to freedom.

But when a chance encounter sets in motion a deadly chain of events, Dalton is forced to reconsider everything he knows about the Glitch - and what it really means for humanity's future.

Reapers by A. J. Ryan will be released on November 3, 2026.

When the Sword Seems to Smile by Sebastien de Castell

Synopsis

This story takes place shortly after the events of Tyrant’s Throne, when Falcio val Mond and the Greatcoats brought Tristia back from the brink of war and ruin, prevented the rise of a dictator, and finally saw the King’s heir returned to the throne.

What followed proved to be much, much harder for Falcio...

When the Sword Seems to Smile by Sebastien de Castell is already available at Payhip.

Dance of the Chamberlain by Sebastien de Castell

Synopsis

When seemingly supernatural events intrude upon the King’s Law, one man is entrusted with uncovering the truth and seeing justice done. But can even Estevar Borros explain the chamberlain dancing in a palace ballroom two weeks after his death?

Dance of the Chamberlain by Sebastien de Castell is already available at Payhip.

The Obsidian Worm by Sebastien de Castell

Synopsis

Kellen, Reichis, and Ferius have journeyed to a distant land to hunt down the last of the insidious creatures known as the obsidian worms that secretly enslave their victims. But not everyone appreciates Kellen’s attempts at heroism . . .

Note: The Obsidian Worm takes place shortly after the events of Shadowblack, the second book in the Spellslinger series.

The Obsidian Worm by Sebastien de Castell is already available at Payhip.

The Rite of Aphrodite by Rick Riordan & Kyle Lukoff

Synopsis

DISCOVER WHAT IT MEANS TO BECOME A HERO IN THIS NEW SERIES SET IN THE BESTSELLING WORLD OF PERCY JACKSON!

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Rick Riordan and Newbery Honor winner Kyle Lukoff comes book two set at Camp Half-Blood, the legendary secret sanctuary where demigod kids—the children of Greek gods and mortals—can discover their true potential.

The hardcover edition features a unique stamp of the crest of Aphrodite, plus lush endpapers that display Aphrodite’s Enchanted Closet and a map of Camp Half-Blood in more detail than ever!

As a child of Aphrodite, Harper Rush should be leading a charmed life. He has perfect hair and a winning smile, and he is finally living as the boy he was always supposed to be. But there’s no escaping the memories of the day the cops took his father away and Harper landed in the care of his grandparents. For Harper, Camp Half-Blood is the chance at a fresh start.

But camp comes with its own problems. His first night, Harper and three other newbies were caught out after curfew. Their rule-breaking made them friends, but Harper can’t shake the feeling that each of them is hiding a secret. Then there are the camper and the satyr who went missing in the forbidden forest known as the Wild Zone.

Worst of all might be the arrival of the goddess Aphrodite. Harper’s mom seems determined to avoid answering his questions. And her latest decree is scarier than any monster hiding in the woods: a Camp Half-Blood dance. Will this week at camp cause more chaos and heartbreak than even demigods can handle? There will be no charming his way out of this one...

The Rite of Aphrodite by Rick Riordan & Kyle Lukoff will be released on March 30, 2027.

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Cover Reveal News Round-Up, Including Books By Tamsyn Muir, Christopher Buehlman, R. F. Kuang, Jennifer A. Nielsen, Michiko Aoyama, And Brandon Mull

Fantasy is mostly the star player of this edition of the Cover Reveal News Round-Up. We have a potential series opener by Tamsyn Muir; sequels by Christopher Buehlman, and Brandon Mull; stand-alone novels set in familar universes by Jennifer A. Nielsen, and Michiko Aoyama; and a redesigned collector's edition by R. F. Kuang.

Floralinda by Tamsyn Muir

Synopsis

New York Times bestselling author Tamsyn Muir returns to blend a subversive fairy tale adventure with a desperate dungeon crawl.

THE TOWER BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER. TRUE LOVE MADE THEM WORSE.

The princess in the tower is a classic for a reason. Witch kidnaps princess. Witch puts princess in tower guarded by monsters. Prince kills monsters, rescues princess: happily ever after, roll credits. Princess Floralinda's story goes a little differently.

Her witch was an artiste, and she got carried away. After a dozen or so princes died on the very first floor, the rest decided there were easier paths to wedded bliss. So Floralinda sets out to rescue herself, armed only with a breadknife, a good upbringing, and a captive fairy named Cobweb.

THE ONLY WAY OUT IS DOWN

Unfortunately for Floralinda, the trouble with the tower is only beginning. On the outside, succession looms. The Fairy Courts call. A princess would have no hope of surviving all that is to come… but maybe a monster could.

Floralinda by Tamsyn Muir will be released on July 27, 2027.

The Thrice-Bound Fool by Christopher Buehlman

Synopsis

The Thrice-Bound Fool is the epic, rollicking next chapter in the bestselling and “awesome as hell” (Nicholas Eames) fantasy adventure series that began with The Blacktongue Thief.

Professional thief and inveterate trickster Kinch Na Shannack has always enjoyed a good book. But now his life, and the future of all of Manreach, depends on deciphering a very bad book indeed; a stolen, sentient tome that tries to kill him every time he opens it―and often when it’s closed.

Galva, veteran of the goblin wars and death’s sworn handmaiden, has vowed to protect Kinch while he mines the book for its dark magic and even darker secrets. She does so not for Kinch’s sake―though the cheeky bastard is growing on her―but because the book is the key to stopping the shadowy tyrants out to kill the queen she serves―and loves.

The ruthless, all-seeing Taker’s Guild dogs their every step, and thief and knight must flee the known world entirely if they hope to succeed. But trouble finds Kinch wherever he goes, and the pair may have traded the devil they know for horrors far darker and hungrier as they enter lands unknown.

The Thrice-Bound Fool by Christopher Buehlman will be released on October 13, 2026.

The Burning God by R. F. Kuang

Synopsis

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel and Yellowface comes an all-new, fully illustrated, hardcover Deluxe Collector’s Edition of R. F. Kuang’s The Burning God, with a full-wrap illustrated jacket and black-and-white interior art by JungShan Chang throughout, plus embossed case, designed endpapers, and stenciled edges!

Considered one of Time Magazine’s 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time, the third book in the beloved Poppy War Trilogy concludes Rin’s story in explosive, surprising fashion as she battles not just the Dragon Republic and Hesparians, but the gods themselves.

This edition also includes the short story "The Drowning Faith"!

After saving her nation of Nikan from foreign invaders and battling the evil Empress Su Daji in a brutal civil war, Fang Runin was betrayed by allies and left for dead.

Despite her losses, Rin hasn’t given up on those for whom she has sacrificed so much—the people of the southern provinces and especially Tikany, the village that is her home. Returning to her roots, Rin meets difficult challenges—and unexpected opportunities. While her new allies in the Southern Coalition leadership are sly and untrustworthy, Rin quickly realizes that the real power in Nikan lies with the millions of common people who thirst for vengeance and revere her as a goddess of salvation.

Backed by the masses and her Southern Army, Rin will use every weapon to defeat the Dragon Republic, the colonizing Hesperians, and all who threaten the shamanic arts and their practitioners. As her power and influence grows, though, will she be strong enough to resist the Phoenix’s intoxicating voice urging her to burn the world and everything in it?

The Burning God by R. F. Kuang will be released on November 10, 2026.

War Boats by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Synopsis

#1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen tells the remarkable story of a boy who is desperate to save his older brother, a soldier in the British forces, from the Nazi army, and takes part in the miraculous rescue operation at Dunkirk during World War II.

All Archer Cobb wants to do is join the navy and help Britain fight the Nazis as World War II begins to rage--like his older brother, William, who is a member of the British Expeditionary Force. There's just one problem: Archer is only twelve years old.

When Archer sneaks off and lies his way into the navy, he soon earns the friendship and loyalty of his crewmates. But after the officers find out how young Archer is, he is sent home, where he must deal with the stepfather he resents and a terrible family secret--until word comes through that the British soldiers fighting in northern France are in trouble, William among them. Desperate to join the rescue effort, Archer steals his stepfather's boat and sets off on his own for the beaches of Dunkirk.

Afraid, yet determined to find his brother, Archer must face the enemy's U-boats in rough waters and bombers in the air, as he navigates to the shores of Dunkirk to take part in a massive rescue operation. But will he manage to find William? And will he and his stepfather find a way to make peace?

From beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen comes a thrilling adventure story about courage in the face of terrifying danger and the lengths we go to for the people we love.

War Boats by Jennifer A. Nielsen will be released on March 2, 2027.

Talking in a Moonlit Forest by Michiko Aoyama

Synopsis

'The new moon is a time for a fresh start, the perfect day to try something you’ve never done before'

Each morning on the outskirts of Tokyo, a mysterious podcaster broadcasts live from a bamboo forest. No one knows who he is or where he’s from. Every episode, he shares musings about the moon: its cycles and phases, the science and astrology, and the celestial folklore it inspires - including a captivating ancient legend of the moon goddess.

With Michiko Aoyama’s classic charm and heartwarming beauty, Talking In a Moonlit Forest follows five unique strangers who find themselves drawn into the podcast’s orbit:

• A dedicated nurse who has just quit her job;
• A failing comedian who cannot give up on his dream;
• A motorcycle mechanic left lonely by his changing relationship with his daughter and wife;
• A high school girl who longs for independence from her parents;
• A jewellery artist struggling for work-life balance as she finds success.

The tales of the moon speak profoundly to each character in the midst of their everyday struggles. As they click onto the podcast, they find their own days waxing and waning in strange news ways–offering new chances, unexpected surprises, and new and invisible connections.

Talking in a Moonlit Forest by Michiko Aoyama will be released on March 30, 2027.

Guardians: Fallen Empire by Brandon Mull

Synopsis

CAN YOU SAVE THE WORLD FROM THE ENEMY WITHIN?

In the sequel to the New York Times bestselling fantasy Forbidden Mountain, two friends on a quest to protect their home find out whether their supernatural abilities and spirit guardian will be their salvation, or their downfall—from the beloved author of the Fablehaven and Beyonders series.

Mako spent his life dreaming of the day he could train to be a warrior, and risked everything by bonding with one of the Accursed spirit guardians . . . a choice that means death if discovered. His journey led him to Arden, whose ability to read others made her dreams of adventure a dangerous reality. But neither of them suspected the kind of devastation that they barely survived with their friend Tuck.

Now, after being attacked by the Accursed and forced into hiding, the three young teens are on the run, desperate to find allies they can trust and facing new betrayals at each turn. Arden must use her powers to navigate the shifting landscape around them, and Mako struggles to protect his friends when that means relying more on his guardian, Narrix—someone he can’t trust, and who has established Mako as an enemy of his own people.

Arden hopes to find her father. Mako yearns to redeem his name. Their world grows larger and stranger as they discover more of the magic and secrets of the Empire they are hoping to save, but all the while the threat of evil is closing in on them. Arden’s and Mako’s skills and loyalties will be tested, leading to shocking discoveries—and even more shocking choices.

Guardians: Fallen Empire by Brandon Mull will be released on April 13, 2027.

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Cover Reveal News Round-Up, Including Books By Sarah J. Maas, Lois Lowry, R. F. Kuang, Olivie Blake, Sebastien de Castell, And J.R.R. Tolkien

It's almost "BER" season (months that end with "-ber") and, from where I am from, that means it's almost Christmas season. What a better early gift we could have than having a list of upcoming books to look forward to in this edition of the Cover Reveal News Round-Up? In this list we have sequels by Sarah J. Maas and Sebastien de Castell; stand-alone novels by Lois Lowry, R. F. Kuang, and Olivie Blake; an illustrated book edition by J.R.R. Tolkien.

A Court of Splintered Harmony by Sarah J. Maas

Synopsis

Romance, danger, and intrigue await you in the breathtaking sixth book in the #1 bestselling Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series.

What was broken will be remade.

Deep in the heart of the continent, Koschei the Deathless is stirring. Though he’s been bound to a mountain lake for millennia, the insidious threat of his return now spreads across the Fae territories, attracting powerful allies hell-bent on reclaiming what was once theirs: the human lands.

The Night Court will not stand idly by while innocents are attacked. But with Prythian still piecing itself together in the wake of the devastating Hybern War, the task of uniting is proving more difficult by the day.

To make matters worse, those who rule and protect the Night Court are reeling from recent betrayals and revealed truths. The rifts dividing them seem insurmountable.

But to defeat Koschei’s creeping shadow, they must find a way back to each other and resurrect their former alliances. To survive, they must find a way to repair the splintered harmony all around them.

A Court of Splintered Harmony by Sarah J. Maas will be released on October 27, 2026.

A Court of Forgotten Melody by Sarah J. Maas

Synopsis

The magic continues and the stakes have never been higher in the stunning seventh book in the #1 bestselling Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series.

What was lost will be reclaimed.

Prythian might never be the same again. Traditional alliances are crumbling, and no amount of diplomacy seems sufficient to repair them. With the continued threat of Koschei the Deathless on the horizon, a united front is crucial--and farther out of reach than it has ever been before.

Bonds will be tested. Power will shift. And old enemies will emerge from nightmares of the past.

As the Night Court’s Inner Circle disperses far and wide, desperate for any advantage against Koschei and his mighty allies, peace hangs by a fragile thread. But hope can be spun from the darkest of shadows, and the Night Court has its own part to play in the looming crescendo.

A Court of Forgotten Melody by Sarah J. Maas will be released on January 12, 2027.

Building 903 by Lois Lowry

Synopsis

In the tradition of her bestselling, award-winning phenomenon, The Giver, Lois Lowry delivers a story about censorship, comfort, complicity, and the radical power of books to open portals and unlock our humanity through our most powerful tool: the imagination.

Twins Tessa and Theo live in a world ruled by a tyrannical leader, where there are no dangers or rebels... or so they've been told. In this world, citizens live long lives, and while many hate their leader, they are comfortable and safe. So, when Tessa's brother disappears, nobody wants to discuss it. But then Miriam, their 135-year-old neighbor bound for the retirement community, slips Tessa a key—not only to her brother's disappearance, but to the source of all real magic . . . books. As Tessa and her parents begin their search for Theo, Tessa learns that books not only tell us stories—they open portals and unlock our humanity through our most powerful tool: the imagination. Once that truth has been revealed, Tessa won't be able to rest until she has retrieved her twin and society itself has been transformed.

Two-time Newbery-winner Lois Lowry has crafted a narrative that feels at once prescient and eternal: in this world, the imagination is the revolution. Not only does Building 903 sit in the same resonant space as The Giver Quartet, but it is also a profound addition to Lois's enduring body of work—and a testament to the strength and value of her voice, vision, and legacy.

Building 903 by Lois Lowry will be released on September 29, 2026.

Taipei Story by R. F. Kuang

Synopsis

From R.F. Kuang, the acclaimed #1 New York Times bestselling author of Katabasis and Yellowface, comes a wryly humorous and profoundly moving coming-of-age novel that grapples with grief, language, and culture shock—all set against the backdrop of an unforgettable summer in Taipei.

College freshman Lily Chen is off to spend the summer in Taipei at an intensive language program like so many Chinese American students before her, hoping to connect with the culture she inherited but never fully understood. But a promising start quickly unravels. Her classes are grueling, her roommate is driving her insane, and a reckless trip to the hot springs with a guy she barely knows soon has her classmates viciously gossiping. She feels adrift, a foreigner in a country she thought would feel like home.

Then shocking news arrives: Lily’s grandfather has passed away. The loss forces her to grapple with now-unanswerable questions about her family history. As Lily grieves, she’s drawn into a journey of self-discovery—piecing together memories, stories, and silences over a series of hilarious and devastating attempts at connection.

Taipei Story asks: What if the diaspora fantasy of homecoming never comes true? What if learning a language can’t bring you any closer to the people you’re trying to reach? What if you search for your family’s history, but your family doesn’t want to share? What if you wait too long to ask the right questions? As Lily struggles for answers, her summer becomes a poignant search for understanding—of herself, her family, and the meaning of home.

Taipei Story by R. F. Kuang will be released on September 8, 2026.

Newphoria! by Olivie Blake

Synopsis

From New York Times bestselling author Olivie Blake comes NEWPHORIA!, a playful yet biting dystopian satire about what happens if we get the future we deserve.

It's 2075 and time once again for the annual Senecan Games, a fight-to-the-death tournament in which the sinful are contestants, as nominated online by their neighbors, mutuals, and IRL friends. But who has time to stream murder games in this economy?

Just as the Senecan begins, Wolfie Anderson-Spencer, an archival researcher of millennial culture at Oxford, discovers historical memes may have been erased from his carefully curated files. As his forebears would say: highly sus!

This seemingly individual IT issue leads Wolfie to the sinister discovery of outwardly unrelated secrets, including a survivalist cult’s mysterious massacre, a pop star’s cancellation and election to the first Senecan games, and a lonely young woman named Dolores who has managed to avoid the watchful eye of big tech―until now. She just may be the only hope of saving humanity from the dark web of exploitation that we unwittingly opted into.

Moving back and forth in time, from the makeshift swamps of London to the abandoned ruins of the Central California coast, NEWPHORIA! is an eccentric, character-driven novel that explores technofeudalism, the dopamine hit of clicking "buy," and what happens if we actually get the future we deserve.

Newphoria! by Olivie Blake will be released on August 10, 2027.

The Malevolent Nine by Sebastien de Castell

Synopsis

A mind-blowing journey through mystical realms where power-hungry mages seeking ever more potent spells have unwittingly started the countdown towards universal annihilation

With the Great Crusade between the Celestines and the Infernals finally over, mercenary mages and megalomaniacal warlords have gone back to business as usual: fighting for wealth, territory and just to beat the snot out of the other guys because hey, it's more fun than a real job, right? But every spell creates a momentary breach between the mortal realm and those whose physical laws make magic possible. Until now, those breaches healed over time, but with the veil between realities left in tatters by the Great Crusade, every conjuration and invocation now worsens the rifts.

The solution is simple: limit the amount of spells being cast so that the mortal realm will heal itself. But mages aren't good at sharing, and the threat of losing their powers triggers a frantic mystical arms race before their connections to the realms of magic fade entirely.

Now, Cade Ombra, former Glorian Justiciar and current guy-sick-to-death-of-saving-the-world, is forced to reunite his infamous crew of war mages known as the Malevolent Seven in a last-ditch effort to eliminate the threat of every single living spellcaster - including themselves. But can seven emotionally unstable wonderists protect the entire mortal realm from rogue bands of avaricious wizards, previously unimaginable horrors creeping through the veil, and their own dark impulses?

Malevolent Nine: A Fistful of Hexes delivers an electrifying finale filled with relentless action, irreverent humour, and heart-pounding twists. As the mortal realm teeters on the edge of destruction, Cade and his crew must decide how far they are willing to go to defend a world that may not be worth living in. The fate of reality itself hangs in the balance, and only the most malevolent can hope to save it.

The Malevolent Nine by Sebastien de Castell will be released on December 3, 2026.

The Fall of Númenor by J.R.R. Tolkien

Synopsis

A special edition of J.R.R. Tolkien’s writings on the Second Age of Middle-earth collected in one volume, illustrated by Alan Lee and published to coincide with season 3 of The Rings of Power. Guided by the Dark Lord Sauron, the Elves of Eregion forge the Rings of Power. Yet in secret he has begun building the Barad-dûr in Mordor, and here, in the fires of Mount Doom, he makes the One Ring. Seeking to rule Middle-earth, Sauron begins to wage terrible war upon them.

On the island-kingdom of Númenor, the Men of the West become mighty, building great ships to increase their influence throughout Middle-earth. But as their power grows, the seed of their downfall is sown. Only by uniting in alliance with the Elves can they hope to overcome Sauron.

Adhering to ‘The Tale of Years’ timeline in The Lord of the Rings, Brian Sibley assembles a new chronicle of Middle-earth, a tragic tale of pride, envy and downfall told substantially in the words of J.R.R. Tolkien from the various published texts originally edited by Christopher Tolkien, and illustrated with pencil drawings by Alan Lee.

Sumptuously repackaged to complement the series of special hardback editions illustrated by J.R.R. Tolkien, this stunning edition uniquely features sprayed edges and includes a removable art card and colour foldout map.

The Fall of Númenor by J.R.R. Tolkien will be released on November 5, 2026.

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