Last checked July 3, 2026

Romantasy News & Release Radar

Upcoming and newly released romantasy books, sequels, novellas, adaptations, and audiobook-format updates for series already covered on Fabled Romance.

Release radar

Date	Release	Series / author	Why readers care
July 14, 2026	Unbound audio novella	Ali Hazelwood	Spotify-exclusive sequel to Bound, with paranormal immortal romance and dual narration by Tara Fatehi and Dean Miller.
August 2026	The Lion and the Deathless Dark	Crowns of Nyaxia / Carissa Broadbent	Next Crowns of Nyaxia installment after The Songbird and the Heart of Stone; part of the larger six-book plan.
September 1, 2026	The Knave and the Moon	Stonewater Kingdom / Rachel Gillig	Sequel to The Knight and the Moth and conclusion of the Stonewater Kingdom duology.
October 27, 2026	Untitled ACOTAR book 6	A Court of Thorns and Roses / Sarah J. Maas	First new ACOTAR novel since A Court of Silver Flames; described as part one of a larger connected story.
November 24, 2026	The Fall of the Crowned King	Gods and Monsters / Amber V. Nicole	Next dark romantasy installment, positioned by the author as a turning point before the series' final battle.
January 12, 2027	Untitled ACOTAR book 7	A Court of Thorns and Roses / Sarah J. Maas	Scheduled to contain parts two and three of the same larger ACOTAR arc that begins in October 2026.

Newly released and imminent

Date	Release	Format	Reader action
July 2, 2026	Rites of the Starling	Book two in Shield of Sparrows	Readers can continue from Shield of Sparrows now; Entangled's current product page lists July 2, 2026.
July 14, 2026	Unbound	Spotify-exclusive audio novella	Audio-first readers may want to check platform access before release day, especially if they found Hazelwood through Bride.

Preorder and release links

Release pages are the cleanest place for preorder, new-audiobook, and special-edition partner links once exact retailer URLs are confirmed.

Amazon preorders Audible new releases Bookshop.org

Some links may be affiliate links. You may also see seasonal deals, special editions, or reader-resource partnerships when relevant.

Empyrean book 4

Rebecca Yarros has confirmed she is working on the fourth Empyrean novel, but no title or release date has been announced. Treat every circulating date as rumor until Red Tower / Entangled or Yarros confirms it.

Crescent City book 4

Sarah J. Maas has discussed more Crescent City, but the next firm Maas dates are for ACOTAR. No official Crescent City 4 release date is currently attached.

Blood and Ash finale watch

The Blood and Ash list now points beyond The Primal of Blood and Bone toward The Throne of Bone and Ash. Treat circulating dates cautiously until Jennifer L. Armentrout's official channels carry firm timing.

Shield of Sparrows sequel now out

Rites of the Starling is listed by Entangled with a July 2, 2026 release date, so readers arriving from Shield of Sparrows can move straight to the updated series page instead of waiting for book two.

2026 reader momentum

These are not all 2026 releases, but they are still driving mid-2026 romantasy traffic, rereads, recap searches, and next-read questions.

Title / series	Why it matters now	Best next click
Onyx Storm / The Empyrean	Reader demand remains high while book four is being written and no official release date has been announced.	Iron Flame recap and Empyrean reading order
Brimstone / Fae & Alchemy	Still appears in 2026 reader-trend coverage after its late-2025 release and may appeal to readers who want darker fae-and-alchemy routes.	Books Like ACOTAR But More Fantasy
ACOTAR	The October 2026 and January 2027 releases are pulling older ACOTAR books back into active reread and recap demand.	ACOTAR reading order and ACOMAF recap

Audiobook and format updates

Update	Status	Reader action
Unbound by Ali Hazelwood	Spotify-exclusive audio novella scheduled for July 14, 2026.	Use Bride for Hazelwood's paranormal-romance route and Audiobooks for format guidance.
The Knight and the Moth	Standard audiobook is available; The Knave and the Moon is the next release to watch.	Start with Stonewater Kingdom or Rachel Gillig.
Hidden Legacy GraphicAudio	GraphicAudio has been rolling out dramatized adaptations beginning with Burn for Me.	Audio-first readers can start with Hidden Legacy, Hidden Legacy reading order, and GraphicAudio Romantasy.
Fourth Wing / Empyrean audio	Standard and dramatized editions exist for earlier books; book 4 audio cannot be dated until the book itself is announced.	Use the Empyrean hub for current series status; wait for official book-four news before trusting audio dates.

Adaptation watch

Title	Status	What to watch
Fourth Wing / The Empyrean	Amazon MGM Studios adaptation remains a major reader-interest item, but production details have shifted over time.	Watch for a confirmed showrunner, greenlight, casting, or production schedule before writing a dated article.
Shield of Sparrows	Amazon MGM Studios film adaptation was announced around the first book's 2025 release.	Watch for casting, director, and production-date news now that the sequel is out.
Ali Hazelwood screen projects	The Love Hypothesis film is the active headline; Hazelwood is also releasing audio-first paranormal material.	Keep Bride/Mate readers pointed to Hazelwood's author hub while film news is romance-side rather than romantasy-side.