In the blink of an eye, January 2023 is here (seriously how did that happen?). You know what that means? New year, new books! Plus, this is the perfect season to cozy up with a new story. A warm blanket, a cup of tea, and a new book? Sign me right up! Anyways, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I absolutely love SFF stories for their magic and escapism. It’s the first genre in which I look for new reads. For those of us like me, you’re definitely in the right place. That’s because today I’m going to look at some of the best new sci-fi and fantasy books out in January 2023!
You guys know the gist. This list is by no means complete or comprehensive. There are dozens of new books published every month. That being said, I did try to choose a bit of everything for you guys to find something you’ll love. This list includes anticipated sequels, new fantastic sagas, adventurous sci-fi and even some paranormal romance. Because that’s the beauty of SFF: it’s such a versatile genre you really can find something for everyone.
But without further ado, let’s jump into nine amazing works of SFF out in January 2023!
Middle Grade SFF Out in January
A Dangerous Trade by Cassandra Rose Clarke (January 17)We’re kicking things off with an adventurous middle grade sci-fi that is inspired by the new Star Trek: Prodigy animated series! A Dangerous Trade follows the Protostar crew. One of their ship’s coils has worn out, so they decide to replace it on a small distant planet. Little do they know, the Protostar has caught the eye of a group of rogue traders. It’s up to the crew to protect their beloved ship! |
Heroes of Havensong: Dragonboy by Megan Reyes (January 24)Next, Heroes of Havensong is the start of a new epic fantasy series. The story follows four kids who are bound by fate to heal their fractured nation. Blue is a boy-turned-dragon; while River is a dragon rider. Wren’s a witch who lost her magic — and Shenli is a soldier full of secrets. It is up to them to learn the truth about the war and figure out how to restore balance — or their magic could disappear forever. |
YA SFF Out in January
Breakup from Hell by Ann Dávila Cardinal (January 3)Raise your hands if you love paranormal romance books! Breakup from Hell is such a fun and angsty YA that you won’t be able to put it down. Miguela Angeles is super bored of her same old town. So when she runs into Sam, here for vacation, she decides to get closer to him. The two start dating and things seem nice — until they’re not. Mica is acting strangely, and weird things start to happen to her as well. Like end-of-the-world strange. Something is very wrong with Sam, and the answer lies in Mica’s own family history. The question is, will she be able to break up with him without all hell breaking loose? |
Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao (January 3)Amélie Wen Zhao is back with a new Chinese mythology–inspired YA fantasy! The story follows Lan: her kingdom was invaded long ago, and the colonizers outlawed their magic and killed her mother — but not before she left a strange mark on Lan’s arm, invisible to all except her. One day, she stumbles upon a practitioner named Zen. He can see the mark and recognizes her as a fellow practitioner of magic. Lan and Zen decide to travel to the last refuge of the Last Kingdom to learn the truth about the mark— and join the fight to overthrow the Elantian regime. |
The Everlasting Road by Wab Kinew (January 10)A sequel to Walking in Two Worlds, this emotional sci-fi is an absolute must-read. In it, Bugz is grieving her brother’s death. So once again she finds solace in the virtual world of the Floraverse. There, she’s building a bot named Waawaate. It has her brother’s image, but in reality it’s an incredible weapon against those who threaten her power. Bugz cannot wait to team up with Waawaate and Feng, but the latter is having problems of his own that threaten to turn his life upside down. That’s not the only problem though, because Waawaate is getting too powerful for Bugz to control. |
Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim (January 24)The last YA SFF out in January is Maiya Ibrahim’s Spice Road! This Arabian-inspired fantasy follows Imani, a great warrior with a magical affinity for iron who’s on track to become the city’s next Shield. If only her brother’s shadow wasn’t big enough to darken her accomplishments. He had a magical obsession with spice and tried to steal it before he disappeared. He was presumed dead — until now. Imani has found signs of her brother distributing spice to other nations. She takes it upon herself (and her new team of kickass warriors) to find him and bring him back before he reveals the city’s location. What could go wrong? |
Adult SFF Out in January
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo (January 10)Spoilers for Ninth House ahead! Alex Stern’s story is finally back in Bardugo’s Hell Bent — and I for one can’t wait to read it! The story picks up where Ninth House left off: with Darlington missing in purgatory. Alex is forbidden from rescuing him, but that won’t stop her. So she and Dawes assemble a ragtag team to navigate the secrets of the nine houses in order to break Darlington free. To make things worse, faculty members start to die. Alex knows they’re not accidental deaths, and the evidence points to something dark and supernatural. If Alex wants to save Darlington, she’ll have to survive this new evil first. |
The Daughters of Izdihar by Hadeer Elsbai (January 10)Inspired by Egyptian history, The Daughters of Izdihar kicks off a new urban fantasy duology that is absolutely worth reading! The story follows a waterweaver named Nehal. She wants nothing more than to join the all-female military. But instead, her family marries her off to a man named Nico. He doesn’t really care about Nehal. Actually, Nico’s in love with a bookseller named Giorgina. Turns out, the two women are more similar than they thought. Giorgina is an earthweaver who fights with a women’s rights group. With a war against weavers looming in the background, both Nehal and Giorgina will have to fight tooth and nail to keep what matters most to them: their freedom. |
Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire (January 10)Last but not least, this book is technically #8 in the Wayward Children series, but it absolutely can be read as a standalone! The story follows a girl named Antoinette, who lost her father in a way in which he’ll never be found. Not even in the Shop Where the Lost Things Go. But Antoinette finds herself in this same shop, which is full of doors that take her to all kinds of places. Despite the overabundance of doors, none of them lead out of the shop — plus they take a toll on whoever crosses them. It’s safe to say that it will take everything Antoinette has to leave this Shop Where the Lost Things Go. |
Looking for more SFF reads? Take a dive into our SFF archives for all kinds of lists, essays, and quizzes!
