Dragons and vampires lead 10 best 2026 lgbtq fantasy books to read, including The Drakon King
A varied year of fantasy
The 2026 selection includes The Fox and the Devil by Kiersten White, The Last Best Quest Ever by F.T. Lukens and Her Sharp Embrace by Kate Koenig, all already released. Upcoming titles include Terry J. Benton-Walker’s The Drakon King and Meghan Nesmith’s A World Apart.
The books span dragon-filled romance, sapphic gothic mysteries, queer pirate adventures, dark academia and vampire stories. December and early 2027 also bring more queer fantasy adventures for readers to anticipate.
Dragons and forbidden loyalties
Published November 10, The Drakon King begins Benton-Walker’s adult romantasy with a Black M/M romance, rival royal bloodlines and dragons. Prince Reverie escapes a violent human king, while Drakon prince Xandreth investigates the disappearance of his people; their paths meet in Wraithwood.
The two become reluctant allies amid a haunted forest, political corruption and dwindling magical resources. The story combines dragon lore and forced proximity with mechs, magical technology and a high-stakes romance. Everina Maxwell’s Call Me Traitor, due December 1, follows En, whose magic compels loyalty, as she is sent to capture five supposedly dead exiles.
Gothic mystery and romance
White’s The Fox and the Devil, published March 10, is a gothic fantasy mixing vampire mythology, historical mystery and sapphic romance. Anneke, daughter of Abraham Van Helsing, returns home to find her father murdered and a mysterious woman standing over his body before disappearing.
Anneke investigates murders across Europe with a team of detectives, using contemporary forensic techniques. The killer, who calls herself Diavola, sends cryptic letters, and Anneke’s pursuit of vengeance becomes entangled with attraction and the immortal woman’s past.
A passage into the Veil
A World Apart by Meghan Nesmith debuts November 17, with its story divided between Victorian London and a magical realm. In 1866, aspiring magician Kit Finchley opens a passage into the Veil with a miscast spell and meets Wilfrith, who has been trapped there with his family for 800 years.
Kit must challenge the Faerie Queen and the bargain holding Wil’s family captive, while Kit’s parents expect him to accept an arranged match. The time-bending M/M romance pairs personal urgency with a larger magical conflict.
Key points
- The 2026 releases range from gothic mysteries and dark academia to dragon romances and magical quests.
- The Drakon King arrived November 10, and A World Apart is due November 17.
- Call Me Traitor is a sapphic fantasy adventure scheduled for December 1.
- The Fox and the Devil combines vampire mythology, historical mystery and sapphic romance.