Leigh Bardugo brings the Ninth House trilogy to a close this week, Rebecca Roanhorse continues the Star Wars Reign of the Empire trilogy with Edge of The Abyss , and eligible Brandon Sanderson backers begin receiving The Fires of December digitally. The lineup also includes paranormal romance, Star Wars, historical fantasy, and new LitRPG adventures.
Following last week’s releases, here are nine books to watch for September 13–19, 2026. Dates refer to US releases unless otherwise noted. The Fires of December has separate backer and general-publication dates, detailed below.
Dead Beat by Leigh Bardugo
Leigh Bardugo closes the Ninth House trilogy with Alex Stern facing the consequences of her trips to the underworld. With demons loose in New Haven, Alex, Darlington, and their allies must uncover the secrets of Yale’s societies before a much larger invasion begins.
Alex Stern made it to hell and back more than once, but this time she left the door open behind her. Demons are creeping through the streets of New Haven and the Yale campus, feeding on the souls of the living, terrifying the dead. Alex and her allies can hunt them, but it’s only a matter of time before the gates to the underworld open and they face a war they cannot win. To stop it, they’ll have to reach deep into the secrets of Yale and its societies, and discover the truth hidden in Alex’s own blood.
While she struggles to hold onto the dream of a future Yale once offered, Alex must contend with the machinations of a corrupt Lethe Board and a deadly vampire with his own connection to the societies. But for the first time in her life, she won’t have to face the fight alone. Dawes, Turner, Mercy, and even Tripp will have a role to play, none more so than Alex’s mentor Darlington, the golden boy who lived so long in her head, now back in the flesh and cursed with dangerous powers of his own. Hell itself is stalking the delegates of Lethe House, and they’re all about to learn that demons don’t play by human rules.
The Fires of December by Brandon Sanderson
Release Date: September 15 (backer digital rewards).
Retail Release Date: December 8
Brandon Sanderson returns to the Cosmere with a standalone story narrated by Hoid. A young woman named December sets off along the River Violet to warn a royal court about an approaching plague, accompanied by a priestess and an aspiring fashion designer.
Dragonsteel’s fulfillment update says eligible digital rewards become available September 15, and physical pledge rewards begin shipping that day.
In the next Cosmere standalone novel, Hoid has an epic tale to share: In a forgotten land sustained by colorful rivers of demon blood, a young woman named December learns a devastating plague is on its way. But who will believe her? Against impossible odds, she sets sail up the River Violet to warn the king’s court, determination—and wisdom beyond her years—burning in her eyes. With a chatty priestess and a fledgling fashion designer at her side, she must navigate incredulous royal officials, twisted court intrigue, and a roguish count who might hold the key to her quest—and her heart
Star Wars: Edge of the Abyss (Reign of the Empire) by Rebecca Roanhorse
Rebecca Roanhorse continues the Reign of the Empire trilogy with a sequel to The Mask of Fear, set one year before Andor’s first season. Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, and scattered resistance groups confront an Empire tightening its grip on both public life and the next generation.
Over a decade into the Empire’s reign, life under Imperial rule has become routine. The days of the Republic have long passed into memory—if they are remembered at all.
Within the Senate, Mon Mothma and Bail Organa face dwindling influence, for there is no difference between the will of the Emperor and the direction of his Empire. Bail increasingly shifts his focus to support clandestine resistance efforts, knowing a successful fight against the Empire will come from beyond the halls of power. Meanwhile, Mon Mothma sees one chance to take a stand when she makes a horrifying discovery about the lengths the regime will go to weaponize truth and loyalty. The Empire’s newest target: the next generation raised under the Emperor’s ever deepening shadow, including Mon and Bail’s daughters.
Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel
The author of Station Eleven and Sea of Tranquility returns with a speculative novel set after the collapse of the United States. A disappearance at a Los Angeles party draws Ari Waker into a mystery involving doubles, fractured timelines, and the compromises people make in pursuit of safety.
Grim Tidings by B.K. Borison
B.K. Borison’s second Ghosted book pairs a Grim Reaper who wants to save her next assignment with a guardian angel who distrusts her. Darcy Moore’s rebellion against her job puts her at odds with the Department of Hauntings & Spirits as her relationship with Gabriel Aetos grows.
The Rouse by China Miéville
China Miéville’s new novel follows Maur and an old soldier whose lives are entangled with the same mysterious forces. The 1,260-page US edition spans decades and continents, bringing personal loss into contact with political violence, conspiracy, and the supernatural.
The Gates of Midnight by Helene Wecker
Helene Wecker concludes The Golem and the Jinni trilogy in 1930, with Chava living in Brooklyn and Ahmad working as an architect in Chicago. After years sustained by nightly telephone calls, the threatened return of Yehudah Schaalman draws them back toward one another.
Accidental Necromancer by Kevin McLaughlin
Kevin McLaughlin launches an apocalyptic LitRPG series with medical student Selena Serrano discovering that her anatomy class has become a survival emergency. As technology fails and magic returns, she develops the ability to control the undead and begins building a refuge in an overrun city.
Monster Makers by E.A. Winters
E.A. Winters introduces a LitRPG world where experience points power everyday infrastructure as well as personal advancement. Aspiring warlord Raz Ardelaen’s encounter with an Unmarked woman named Speri challenges his ambitions and his assumptions about the people shut out of the system.
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