Most Anticipated Young Adult SFF/H for January & February 2026 - Reactor

(Godwin Books; January 20, 2026) Upon graduation, Keller lands his dream job as a gunner for the Legion. His pilot partner, Lament, keeps him at arm’s length, but as much of a bummer as it is, Keller throws himself into his work anyway. He and his new crew get into hot water when they investigate a strange space substance that attacked the last gunner. Space opera plus romance equals lots of adventure-y fun.

(Dutton Books for Young Readers; February 17, 2026) In sharp contrast to the HEAs/HFNs that dominate in romantasy, this is a true dystopian story. The world West and Emil live in is hard and getting worse by the day. There is no deus ex machina or Chosen One to save the day. Six years ago the apocalypse happened and now these two young men are pretty much all that’s left of the human race. They wander the Massachusetts coastline with Emil’s dog, searching for dwindling resources and trying to survive as long as they can. It’s a love story at the end of the world. 

(Page Street YA; January 20, 2026) Stuck as a seventeen-year-old forever, Callum will only be free after performing 666 tasks for Lucifer. One day, Lucifer agrees to wipe Callum’s debt clean and free his soul, all for the price of transporting an alchemist across the pond. But of course, once Callum gets to know Auggie, trading his own life for Auggie’s becomes an impossible choice. A necromancer hunting Auggie, an undead witch, and a winged cat complicate matters.

(Love Me Tomorrow #1 — Sarah Barley Books; February 3, 2026) After making a wish at the Tanabata festival, Emma, who doesn’t believe in love, starts receiving mysterious letters. The anonymous author claims to be her true love writing from the future. At first she doesn’t believe them, but they quickly become impossible to ignore. Who is this mysterious suitor? Is it someone she already knows or someone she hasn’t yet met?

(Call of the Dragon #1— Random House Books for Young Readers; February 10, 2026) In a world of dragon gods, Moremi finds herself unexpectedly claimed by both Yida and Dam, something that isn’t supposed to be possible. It’s a good thing she is, because the king and his wicked advisor Addaf launch a coup to overthrow the dragon gods. Now Moremi, her friend Nox, and her nemesis Zaye have less than a week to save the world with a cleansing ceremony… if Addaf doesn’t catch them first.

(Peachtree Teen; January 20, 2026) A queer and neurodivergent romantasy reimagining of the War of the Currents was not on my 2026 bingo card, but I’ll take it. Josephine, imbued with the power of radiance (electricity magic), leaves the orphanage where she was raised, House of Industry. As punishment for constantly breaking rules, she’s packed off to the distant countryside town of Frostbrook to work as a Conductor. There she meets Julian and Ezra, two young men who tug on her heart. 

(Queen of Faces #1 — Henry Holt and Co.Books for Young Readers; February 3, 2026) In Caimor, people can transfer their souls into fake bodies. To save her from a terminal illness as a child, Ana’s parents put her in the only one they could afford, a defective model. Eight years later, the male body Ana’s trapped in is falling apart. Her last hope of stealing a better form is lost when she’s captured by the principal of an elite magic school. Either she works for him as a mercenary, dispatching rebels trying to take down the oppressive political system, or he has her arrested and executed. 

(G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers; February 10, 2026) Sam vows revenge on the man who killed her brother in an illegal duel. That man also happens to be the father of Tamsin, a young woman who will do whatever it takes to win his respect. Their mutual desperation puts them on opposite sides of a duel, with Tamsin taking on dueling master Lysander Rook and Sam acting as Rook’s assistant.

(Feiwel & Friends; February 17, 2026) Do you want a trans remix of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray? Of course you do! It’s 1867 and Dorian is miserable as the sole heir to their family’s estate. They meet the artist Basil who paints a stunning portrait of Dorian, displaying them in a light they’ve never seen themselves in before. Basil offers Dorian the confidence to explore the queer underbelly of London, and take to it like a fish to water. The deeper they sink, the more Basil’s painting changes.

(Wednesday Books; January 6, 2026) Two cursed teens work together to break destiny. Demelza is a veritas swan, a young woman with the ability to sing the truth out of her audience but also doomed to never be able to fall in love without losing her heart or freedom. Prince Arris is doomed to be murdered by his bride thanks to a curse from a sea witch, and his only way out is to find his true love. They meet at the palace and form an alliance—she’ll weed out the murderous suitors competing to marry him and he’ll protect her from a wicked wizard—in this fairy-tale-esque fantasy. 

(Heart’s Gambit #1 — Wednesday Books; February 3, 2026) In the 1860s, two teens tried to escape their enslaver, the witch Sabine, but she captured and cursed them instead. While they now have their freedom, they cannot be around each other without wanting to fight. While they have magical powers and the ability to travel through time, in every generation one child from each family must fight to the death with their life feeding Sabine’s immortality. This year, it’s Emma and Malcolm’s turn at the Gambit. Can their love defeat systemic oppression?

(Feiwel & Friends; February 3, 2026) Immortal teens Calamity and Darling are competing for a mentorship from the prestigious Mortal Outcome Council. Calam guides clients to tragic endings while Darling dabbles in happily ever afters. Whoever exerts the most influence over mortal client Lucy wins the mentorship, but after a series of unlucky events they must pose as an engaged couple and win her over without magic. This is comped as The Good Place meets the Brandy version of Cinderella. Immediate preorder. Immediate. 

(Rick Riordan Presents / Disney Hyperion; January 27, 2026) A high school senior takes her friends on an adventure that turns deadly. Every year, Erica, Lystra, Pearl, and Maya sail around the Caribbean, leaving their cares behind them for a few days. Tragedy strikes when they’re grounded on a haunted island and Erica winds up dead. Or so they thought. A few days later, Erica returns home seemingly alive but very much not well. If you know anything about Caribbean folklore, you know Maya is about to have the fight of her life.

(Wednesday Books; February 17, 2026) Horror-obsessed Simone plans a rager for her 18th birthday. At a cabin near Doll’s Head Lake, she anticipated scary stories around a campfire and creepy pranks. Instead she accidentally murders her best friend Kira. The ghost who haunts the lake, a witch called Regret, offers Simone a deal she cannot refuse: break the curse binding her spirit and she’ll resurrect Kira and erase all of Simone’s many regrets; fail within the two-week time limit and Kira’s life is forfeit.