Start the New Year as You Mean to Go On…

Start the new year as you mean to go on… Reading good books!

Our fairies are here to help you start the year off strong, with handpicked book recommendations that are sure to kick off 2026 with the best possible vibes. We want a year full of page-turning adventures, five-star ratings, and magical new favourites! 🌟

📜 Historical Fantasy

If you’re fascinated by the past but crave something a little otherworldly, you will love a historical fantasy that reimagines history through a lens of magic and mystery. The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo is set in late 16th-century Madrid, where Luzia, a kitchen scullion, plunges into a world of power-hungry nobility and the lines between magic, science, and fraud begin to blur.

🧞 Mythology

If you’re drawn to ancient myths and legendary tales, you need to find a mythology retelling to dive into! In The Ashfire King by Chelsea Abdullah, merchant Loulie al-Nazari and banished prince Mazen bin Malik find themselves in the centre of a centuries-old war. Combining adventures in the desert and legends of jinn, this novel is inspired by One Thousand and One Nights.

☕ Cosy Fantasy

If you’re in the mood for a story that feels like a warm blanket with lower stakes, comforting worlds, and kind-hearted characters to cheer on, cosy fantasy is for you! Heather Fawcett’s Emily Wilde series follows a professor as she studies faerie folklore in a small town and discovers dark magic, friendship, and love. You can get the FairyLoot Exclusive Edition of book three, Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales here.

✨ Magical Realism

Blending the ordinary with the extraordinary, magical realism lets your imagination run wild! The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater followers June, manager at the Avallon Hotel & Spa in West Virginia, where the mountain sweetwater washes away all of high society’s troubles. However it’s not long before someone discovers the secret that the sweetwater can just as easily threaten as well as heal.

❤️‍🔥 Romantasy

If you’re yearning for a romance that will sweep you off your feet but also crave a fantastical setting, you’ll find this romantasy to die for. Wrath of the Damned by Ella Fields is a dark fae fantasy filled with revenge, power, and an addicting enemies to lovers romance.

Will you be adding any of these books to your 2026 TBR? 📚 We’d love to hear about your reading plans!