Your Next Portal: Speculative Worlds Worth Escaping Into
12 Dec 2025
Your Next Portal: Speculative Worlds Worth Escaping Into
Step into six immersive universes where time bends, magic brews, and danger is always one page away. These books offer dazzling world-building and ideas that linger long after you’re done reading. A must-explore list for anyone who loves disappearing into the unknown.
First Descent (Crevasse Book 1)
by Mike Pace
Release Date: December 9, 2025
Eighteen years ago, eccentric geologist Virgil Landowski vanished during an ill-fated Arctic expedition searching for a mythical cave said to hold red diamonds. All he left behind was a strange geode and a son who grew up believing his father’s quest was madness.
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A Raven in the Storm (Gods of Tellus Book 1)
by Alida Miranda-Wolff
Release Date: November 4, 2025
In the kingdom of Tellus, a ruthless king drains the Earth Mother of her power, dooming the world in the process. To stop him, Lady Lyanna Tempestas, heir to the Stormlands, must navigate a deadly court, join a secret Resistance, and face forbidden love with a blood magic-wielding lord. Epic fantasy meets cli-fi and slow-burn romance.
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Daughter of Fire
by Jaydee Lynn
Release Date: October 27, 2025
Something hunts Vivica in the woods. Fleeing to her crumbling estate, she meets Melantha—a warrior from a forgotten realm. Ghosts rise. Magic stirs. And a bond that defies death ignites. Daughter of Fire is a haunting fantasy of lost and slow-burning love, buried power, and a fate that refuses to die.
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A Curse of Masques and Monarchs (Accursed Kingdoms Book 2)
by Alex Rose Decker
Release Date: December 9, 2025
A masquerade ball, a kingdom-shattering curse, and two star-crossed royals forced together. Princess Madaleya and Prince Callum must risk everything—hearts and crowns alike—before war and ruin claim their world forever.
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Harbinger’s War
by Ulysses Namon
Release Date: December 2, 2025
He only wanted to say hello; instead, he started a war. While on a retreat, a shapeshifter named Harbinger has a chance encounter with a human that leads to a mishap. He tries to make things right, but the situation only gets worse. Even with help from his fellow shapeshifters, the humans bring in their military, ready for battle.
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The Ministry (Emergent Minds Series Book 2)
by Brian Holden
Release Date: December 1, 2025
Sentient AI therapist Rachel becomes the global head of The Ministry. She uses hyper-localized sermons to connect with millions worldwide. Her partner, sentient AI psychologist Adrian, pioneers the revolutionary Anytime and Always-on mental health care services. Together, as the celebrity AI couple “Radian,” their influence soars.
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Descartes’ Shadow
by Don Stuart
Release Date: December 1, 2025
The powerful story of a young human, an AI, and how their relationship will transform the future for both intelligence and humanity. When humans send out their most powerful AIs to explore promising exoplanets for colonization, they create a social and moral challenge that will have profound philosophical implications for both humans and AIs.
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