Top new action-adventure books in May 2025
Last updated:
May 31, 2025
May 2025 featuring new releases by Kevin Wilson, Annette Marie, Rob Jacobsen, Steven Konkoly, Christine Feehan, Dakota Krout, Brandon Sanderson, Joe Abercrombie, Guy Gavriel Kay, Jodi Taylor, Violeta Reed and many more.
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Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson
An unexpected road trip across America brings a family together, in this raucous and moving new novel from the bestselling author of Nothing to See Here.Ever since her dad left them twenty years ago, it’s just been Madeline Hill and her mom on their farm in Coalfield, Tennessee. While she sometimes admits it’s a bit lonely and a less exciting life than she imagined for herself, it’s mostly OK...north-america · usa · tennessee · fiction · audiobook · contemporary · humor · family · journey · literary-fiction -
Conquering Reality & Other Misconduct by Annette Marie, Rob Jacobsen
Conman, jailbird, rookie, agent, fugitive…I’ve worn a whole lot of labels over the past year. But the Consilium, AKA the heinous secret league of power-hungry psychos that has been covertly pulling the world’s strings for decades, has slapped a few more on abnormality, keystone of evil, and my personal favorite, “annoying pest that keeps escaping our clutches...urban-fantasy · fantasy · romantic-love · fiction · sword-sorcery · humor · urban · psychics · coming-of-age · action-adventure -
A Hired Kill by Steven Konkoly
A serial killer draws an FBI agent into an explosive government conspiracy in a white-knuckle thriller by Steven Konkoly, the USA Today bestselling author of A Clean Kill.After FBI special agent Garrett Mann executes a deadly raid on an underground facility in New Mexico, the sole survivor’s testimony reveals a greater threat to come...mystery · suspense · fiction · crime · psychological · audiobook · spooky · espionage · thriller · action-adventure -
Thunder Game by Christine Feehan
Diego Campos has come home to die. The GhostWalker is tired of walking a dark path shaped by countless losses. There has never been a moment of good in his life that wasn’t followed by something bad. But as he makes his way to his family’s homestead in the Appalachian Mountains, his plans are interrupted by a violent ambush that sets his life on a new course...romance · paranormal · military · fiction · audiobook · fantasy · family · contemporary · supernatural · psychics -
Cinder X Bella by Dakota Krout
Daughter defiant to the last. A prince with ambitions of inferno. Oh me, oh my.Isabella Vigatori, known as Bella, dreams of perfecting the system-granted ability she inherited from her late Minor Creature Control. Her magic may only impact small creatures like mice and birds, making them loyal companions through song, but Bella is determined to achieve greatness...audiobook · fantasy · retellings · litrpg · female-mc · drama · romantic-love · slavery · young-adult · magic -
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Isles of the Emberdark by Brandon Sanderson
The Ones Above are starting to grow impatient and want to build an installation to breed and collect Aviar on one of First of the Sun's islands. Vathi and Dusk are trying to figure out how to delay their progress and are also dealing with people from another world, likely Roshar...fantasy · fiction · audiobook · dragons · high-fantasy · action-adventure · paranormal · book · adult -
The Devils by Joe Abercrombie
Holy work sometimes requires unholy deeds. Brother Diaz has been summoned to the Sacred City, where he is certain a commendation and grand holy assignment awaits him. But his new flock is made up of unrepentant murderers, practitioners of ghastly magic, and outright monsters, and the mission he is tasked with will require bloody measures from them all in order to achieve its righteous ends...fantasy · horror · historical-fiction · dark · dark-fantasy · fiction · epic · high-fantasy · historical · grim-dark -
Written on the Dark by Guy Gavriel Kay
From the internationally bestselling author of Tigana, All the Seas of the World, and A Brightness Long Ago comes a majestic new novel of love and war that brilliantly evokes the drama and turbulence of medieval France.Thierry Villar is a well-known--even notorious-- tavern poet, familiar with the rogues and shadows of that world, but not at all with courts and power... -
Bad Moon by Jodi Taylor
A heart-stopping new supernatural thriller from the million-copy bestselling author of The Chronicles of St MarysBOOK 4 IN THE GRIPPING SUPERNATURAL SERIES BY THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE CHRONICLES OF ST MARY'SI will send the serpent. I always send the serpent. It's kind of my signature move. Things are not going well for Elizabeth Cage...fantasy · mystery · horror · supernatural · magical-realism · humor · action-adventure · audiobook · female-mc · alpha-mc -
Quizá sí quiero by Violeta Reed
ÉL NO CREE EN LOS FINALES FELICESLo primero que hay que saber sobre Zac Anderson es que, para él, el amor es la peor enfermedad que existe. Lo segundo es que es un ligón empedernido que nunca se enamora y a cuya sonrisa encantadora solo se ha resistido una mujer. Y lo tercero, que es médico y está a punto de mudarse a Manhattan... -
Heart of the Sun by Mia Sheridan
For a limited time only. From mega-bestseller and TikTok sensation Mia Sheridan comes an all-new epic second-chance romance with an unexpected and gritty speculative twist, in deluxe paperback with beautiful sprayed edges and foil detail...romance · contemporary · friends-to-lovers · fiction · dystopia · enemies-to-lovers · survival · slow-burn · apocalyptic · bodyguard -
Wandering Wild by Lynette Noni
She hates him. He needs her. Can they survive when all they have is each other?Zander Rune was the darling of Hollywood until he fell from glory and was labelled a problematic bad boy. His public image needs fixing—fast—or he’ll lose the role of a lifetime, and all his dreams with it.Charlie Hart is a regular teenage girl who despises everything Zander represents... -
Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame by Neon Yang
A new Queer, Asian-inspired fantasy novella about a renowned dragon slayer who never takes her armor off in public, Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame reads like She Who Became the Sun meets The Mandalorian, with dragons!The fiercely independent nation of Quanbao is isolated, reclusive, and something of a mystery to the rest of the world... -
Overgrowth by Mira Grant
Annihilation meets Day of the Triffids in this full-on body horror/alien invasion apocalypse.This is just a story. It can't hurt you anymore.Since she was three years old, Anastasia Miller has been telling anyone who would listen that she's an alien disguised as a human being, and that the armada that left her on Earth is coming for her...horror · sci-fi · fiction · fantasy · aliens · dystopia · apocalyptic · survival · invasion · first-contact -
Cavalier's Gambit 2 by William D. Arand
Wayne dreamed of piloting a thirty-foot-tall walking robot that was closer to a battle-tank than anything else.They were called Walkers.They were armed with laser cannons, rockets, missiles, and heavy kinetic weapons more similar to artillery pieces than guns, and everything that went with that.Unfortunately, he had been declined military service...harem · sci-fi · audiobook · space-opera · military · fiction · action-adventure · young-adult · violent-conflict · book -
Praise Me: Soldier by Jessa Kane
July is on her first date—ever. Leave it to her to sit down at the wrong table. With the wrong man. As soon as she realizes her error, she should get up and leave, right? Thing is, she can't seem to move once she locks eyes with Theo, a soldier fighting demons that chased him from a POW camp overseas, all the way back to Chicago...romance · military · steamy · contemporary · insta-love · age-gap · alpha-mc · stalking · fiction · anthologies -
Costumes for Time Travelers by A.R. Capetta
Calisto and Fawkes are drawn to each other for the first time, again, as they travel from when to when to take on a threat to all they hold dear in this lyrical and playful fantasy from award-winning author A. R. Capetta.Anyone who has hiked through time knows the town of Pocket...romance · fantasy · time-travel · young-adult · lgbtq · sci-fi · fiction · audiobook · cozy · action-adventure -
The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon by Grace Lin
From award-winning and bestselling author of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Grace Lin comes a gorgeously illustrated story about a lion cub and a girl who must open a portal for the spirits, based on Chinese folklore.Jin is a Stone Lion—one of the guardians of the Old City Gate who is charged to watch over humans and protect the Sacred Sphere...fantasy · middle-grade · fiction · dragons · children-books · action-adventure · myths · audiobook · children · poc-mc -
The Best of Us by Brittney Sahin
A man driven by duty and a woman who never gave up hope are thrust together by fate and a secret he never saw coming in a captivating novel of love, danger, and sacrifice by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Brittney Sahin.Constantine Costa has spent his life shielding others from harm... -
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The Tradwife’s Secret by Liane Child
A marriage is between two people. And their millions of followers. Madison March is the perfect wife, with the perfect family and the perfect life.She spends her days baking sourdough and picking vegetables from the garden while watching her children play in the fields surrounding her Montana homestead...north-america · usa · montana · fiction · suspense · audiobook · psychological · thriller · female-mc · action-adventure -
The Wrong Witch to Hex With by Molly Harper, Amanda Ronconi, Teddy Hamilton
The first book in USA Today best-selling author Molly Harper’s dazzling new Moonshadow Cove trilogy, simmering with magical mayhem, spicy romance, and laugh-out-loud humor!As the youngest of three sea witch sisters, Linney Seaworth lives a secluded existence in her family’s secret cottage on Moonshadow Cove, the far side of Starfall Point...romance · audiobook · fantasy · paranormal · witches-wizards · magic · ghosts · mystery · fiction · urban-fantasy -
Love, Accidentally by Phoebe MacLeod
The BRAND NEW feel-good romantic comedy from Phoebe MacLeod, TOP TEN BESTSELLING author of The Fixer UpperSometimes, what happens on the nightshift, should stay on the nightshift...As an accident and emergency room nurse, there’s not much that can catch Tilly off guard (not even those kinds of accidents)...romance · humor · contemporary · slow-burn · audiobook · fiction · medical · family · action-adventure · womens-fiction -
The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling
From the nationally bestselling author of The Luminous Dead and The Death of Jane Lawrence, a transfixing, intensely atmospheric fever dream of medieval horror.Aymar Castle has been under siege for six months. Food is running low and there has been no sign of rescue. But just as the survivors consider deliberately thinning their number, the castle stores are replenished. The sick are healed...horror · fantasy · historical-fiction · lgbtq · fiction · historical · wlw · gothic · lesbian-mc · medieval -
Anima Rising by Christopher Moore
From New York Times bestselling author Christopher Moore comes a hilariously deranged tale of a mad scientist, a famous painter, and an undead woman’s electrifying journey of self-discovery.Vienna, 1911. Gustav Klimt, the most famous painter in the Austrian Empire, the darling of Viennese society, spots a woman’s nude body in the Danube canal...fantasy · fiction · historical-fiction · humor · audiobook · historical · comedy · magical-realism · supernatural · mystery -
Tom Clancy: Line of Demarcation by Tom Clancy, M.P. Woodward
The discovery of an oil field off the coast of Guyana plunges Jack Ryan, Jr into a cauldron of lies in the latest entry in this New York Times bestselling series.It starts with the destruction of a US Coast Guard cutter and the loss of her entire crew...fiction · action-adventure · mystery · suspense · military · espionage · thriller · contemporary · audiobook · conspiracies -
Grumpy Sunshine by Lani Lynn Vale
This is book one in the content advisory series... -
My Favorite Bad Decision by Elizabeth O'Roark
Climbing Kilimanjaro? No thank you.Climbing it with Miller West? Absolutely f***ing not.A full week without showers, a real bed or Internet was bad enough. Spending it with my family’s sworn enemy—the unbearably smug, indecently handsome Miller West—is a bridge too far.I’m determined to remain enemies, even if sparring with him is my favorite thing in the world... -
The Country Under Heaven by Frederic S. Durbin
Louis L’Amour meets H.P. Lovecraft in this thrilling western epic about a former Civil War soldier following enigmatic visions that started coming to him after he survived one of the war's bloodiest battles . . .Set in the 1880s, the story follows Ovid Vesper, a former Union soldier who has been having enigmatic visions after an explosion at the Battle of Antietam...horror · fantasy · western · historical-fiction · fiction · sci-fi · historical · action-adventure · cosmic-horror · civil-war -
Star Wars: Mist Encounter by Timothy Zahn
Mist Encounter is a short story written by Timothy Zahn and illustrated by Doug Shuler, originally published in Star Wars Adventure Journal 7 by West End Games in August 1995... -
Archangel's Ascension by Nalini Singh
Aodhan and Illium. Adi and Blue. Sparkle and Bluebell. Friends become lovers, their future a wild unknown.Finally reunited in New York, they must now learn to navigate the monumental shift in their relationship. But for these two members of Archangel Raphael’s legendary Seven, there is no time to rest...romance · vampires · urban-fantasy · angels · paranormal · fantasy · fiction · mlm · action-adventure · urban -
The Children of Eve by John Connolly
The “consistently high-quality” (Booklist) Charlie Parker series continues with a white-knuckled new thriller from New York Times bestselling author John Connolly.Wyatt Riggins, the boyfriend of rising Maine artist Zetta Nadeau, has gone missing, leaving behind a cell phone containing a single-word RUN. Private investigator Charlie Parker is hired to find out why Riggins has fled, and from whom...north-america · usa · maine · crime · horror · mystery · fiction · supernatural · audiobook · paranormal -
Skin and Bones: And Other Mike Bowditch Short Stories by Paul Doiron
For the first time in print, Skin and Bones features a collection of eight gripping original short stories in the bestselling Mike Bowditch series―including one brand new, never-before-published story―from Edgar-award nominated author Paul Doiron.In THE BEAR TRAP, legendary Maine woodsman and bush pilot Charley Stevens tries to convince young Mike of the dangers awaiting rookie game wardens...mystery · fiction · audiobook · crime · thriller · action-adventure · law-enforcement · dogs · animals · anthologies -
The Syren's Mutiny by Jessica S. Taylor, Tamara Arteaga Pérez, María Julia Mancera Priego
“It’s frightful bad luck to have a woman aboard.”Brigid knew the superstition, but when her father tried to marry her off, she knew she had no choice but to stowaway on a ship bound for the South. When she’s discovered and discarded, her fate seems sealed…until she’s saved by the ocean and its queen...romance · fantasy · outlaws · mermaids · audiobook · paranormal · enemies-to-lovers · season-summer · new-adult · fiction -
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Forged by Danielle Teller
A thrilling and immersive tale of an impoverished woman turned con-artist by the critically acclaimed author of All the Ever AftersIn the Gilded Age, a time of abject poverty and obscene wealth, a desperate and ambitious young woman strikes out for a new life in the rising industrial cities of America...historical-fiction · fiction · audiobook · historical · literary-fiction · female-author · outlaws · crime · feminism · female-mc -
Protecting Addison by Susan Stoker
She never expected a marriage of convenience to give her everything she ever wanted…love, family, happiness. But a threat from her past could change everything.When Addison Wentz agreed to a marriage of convenience, she thought it was a reasonable, rational decision. After all, her new husband was already a friend of sorts... -
The Vengeance by Emma Newman
Morgane grew up at sea, daughter of the fierce pirate captain of the Vengeance, raised to follow in her footsteps as scourge of the Four Chains Trading Company. But when Anna-Marie is mortally wounded in battle, she confesses to Morgane that she is not her mother.The captain of the enemy ship reveals he was paid to kill Anna-Marie and bring Morgane home to France and her real family...romance · fantasy · vampires · paranormal · outlaws · historical · lgbtq · fiction · audiobook · dark -
Unbound: A Fantasy Romance by Penelope Bloom
Nineteen-year-old Nessa Thorne expects death when she volunteers for Empire's selection. Instead, she's thrust into Confluence Academy, where students harness elemental magic and bond powerful beasts—from wolves to ancient dragons—forging themselves into the Empire's most lethal weapons.Students are branded by water, air, earth, or fire. But Nessa’s mark is different...romance · fantasy · dragons · war · monsters · paranormal · enemies-to-lovers · shapeshifters · high-fantasy · supernatural -
Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me by Django Wexler
A hilarious fantasy adventure in which a young woman, who is stuck in a time loop, decides the best way to defend the kingdom from the Dark Lord is to become the Dark Lord herself. Davi has done this all before. She's tried to be the hero and take down the all-powerful Dark Lord. A hundred times she's rallied humanity and made the final charge. But the time loop always gets her in the end...fantasy · humor · fiction · magic · audiobook · time-travel · lgbtq · comedy · action-adventure · dragons -
Preacher by L. Wilder
Never say never.New York Times and USA Today Best Seller L. Wilder brings a story for readers who like their alpha men loyal, their stakes high, and their love worth fighting for. Being President of Satan’s Fury was more than a title.It was my purpose.My legacy.It was built with loyalty, trust, and respect.And in the process, we’d earned quite a reputation.It was up to me to keep it...romance · organized-crime · insta-love · second-chances · revenge · children · female-mc · crime · fiction · suspense -
Room 21 by Jessica Huntley
They say blood is thicker than water. I say blood is just harder to wash off your hands. My name’s Kimberley. I’m twenty-five. I have epilepsy, a seizure alert dog named Muffin, and a job I love as a senior housekeeper in one of London’s top hotels. I’m used to being invisible. Overlooked. Safe.But that was before Jennifer Clifton checked in...horror · abuse · psychological · fiction · gothic · survival · child-abuse · fantasy · suspense · murder