Just like that, February—the shortest month of the year—has passed us by, and while we spent most of the month wrapped up in rereading Wuthering Heights, we did manage to preview a couple of exciting new books releasing in March, and we can highly recommend them both.
Our favorite favorite publishers were generous enough to let us check out advance copies of their hottest new releases for March, and the stories that stole our hearts were all about young women with fire in their hearts and incredible magical power boiling beneath the surface. Ready to dive in yourself? Just keep scrolling to read up on these exciting stories—both releasing on March 3.
Midnight on the Celestial by Julia Alexandra – March 3
Our first romantasy favorite coming out very soon is Julia Alexandra’s Midnight on the Celestial. It takes place in a world where magic called Morphia exists and magic users, Morphics, are generally feared by the other, non-Morphic people. But Rosaline Damarcus knows she’s different. Her father is a powerful and wealthy man, and the only Morphic on the High Council, and she’s always lived a life of luxury. Her family holds regular galas where she uses her power to summon the spirits of the dead to entertain guests, and on her 18th birthday, she’s be expected to take part in a trial to prove her Morphia is safe. Otherwise, she’ll be forced to have her beloved Morphia extracted.
She also comes from a long line of well-respected Morphics, and her great-grandfather Damarcus created the Celestial, a luxury cruise ship that serves wealthy guests, powered by Morphia drained from Morphics who fail their trials. The crew also consists of these Morphics, who use their magic abilities to impress and pamper travelers, with hopes of gaining enough votes for their own retrials. Roe never expects to fail her trial and be told her magic is too dangerous. Rather than relinquishing her gift, she runs away, taking her place on the Celestial for a chance to earn back her right to her power.
Soon, however, she discovers the ship isn’t what it seems. Not only is she subjected to abuse by the family she’s serving, but halls of the ship itself are deadly and ever-changing—especially at night—and it’s even killed staff members. She’s never quite sure if what she’s seeing is a real threat or a consequence of the waking nightmares that appear after she channels her spirit-reviving magic. Quickly, it becomes apparent that the Morphia keeping the ship afloat is more dangerous than it appears. Her only saving grace is her new group of friends, supportive despite vying for the same chance at freedom, led by the irresistibly charming and handsome Ivander. When Rose is framed for the murder of a young guest, she must get to the bottom of the truth behind the Celestial and its power, which may be closer to home than she thinks.
We love headstrong and powerful protagonists, and Roe made this story a delight to read from start to finish. The fantasy world is rich and fully realized, with a compelling magic system that’s equally suited to making magical drinks and mind-expanding desserts or aiding in tense, sprawling combat scenarios. Watching Roe fully come into her power is incredibly satisfying. At times, it’s legitimately frightening, with deliciously grotesque descriptions of the terror conjured both by Roe’s visions and the Celestial itself, perfectly balanced with heartwarming moments between Roe and the new friends who never stray from her side. It’s also a deeply empathetic story, with some of the nastier characters we despised becoming our favorites by the tale’s end. It’s dark, haunting and sometimes gory, but also sweet and whimsical, and we think it’s a must if you’re into tales of magic and redemption.
(Midnight on the Celestial via Wednesday Books)
Also read about: 29 Classic Captions From Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights to Use as Photo Captions
Her Hidden Fire by Clíodhna O’Sullivan – March 3
Her Hidden Fire by Clíodhna O’Sullivan is another story about a powerful magic-wielder’s coming of age, though this tale takes a completely different approach with its lore and language inspired by Ireland. The book follows Éadha, a servant girl who’s spent most of her life attending to her childhood friend, Ionáin, the son of Ailm’s Keep’s ruling family in the land of Domhain. There, those with the strongest magic abilities, called Channellers, hold power as wealthy ruling families, while lowly people are at risk of becoming the Fodder whose life force they steal to create their own abundance. Everything hinges on Ionáin’s 17th birthday, when he’ll be undergo his Reckoning—tested on his inheritance of the gift of the Channeller. If he fails, his vicious uncle, Huath, will inherit the kingdom, and surely cast out Ionáin and his family, ensuring their death.
In a twist of fate, Éadha discovers her own immense powers as a Channeller before Ionáin’s Reckoning. Women are rarely Channellers, and certainly not lowly servants, so she decides her best course of action is to learn to hide her abilities. When Ionáin fails his trial, she does what she believes she must for the boy she loves—invisibly lending some of her own power to help him pass, and keep his life and his kingdom. She reveals only enough of her own magic to be considered a Keeper, a less powerful magic-user who supports the Channeller and helps them harness the power of Fodder, so she can accompany Ionáin on his training at a special academy for Channellers.
She thinks it’s her perfect opportunity to get closer to Ionáin than ever, but bureaucracy and patriarchy keep them apart, and her role is as lowly as ever. As Ionáin plays the game, embracing the cruelty of the Channellers and acting like Éadha doesn’t exist, it gets harder and harder to pretend her own power belongs to him. Meanwhile, she befriends a fellow Keeper named Gry who’s more than he appears, all while juggling the demands of her abusive Channeller partner, Senan, and coming to understand the nature of her magical strength. Will Éadha’s heart stay true to her first love, despite his cold indifference, or has she sacrificed everything for a boy who’s more than happy to leave her behind? Will she be able to keep her abilities a secret, and what will come of her relationship with Ionáin once he discovers the truth she’s been hiding from him?
Her Hidden Fire has us hooked from the very start, and we only realized it was just the first book in a new trilogy when we got to the end on a massive cliffhanger. The ending was tantalizingly abrupt, and now we’re dying to know what happens next. The story has a little dose of everything, from stirring romance to battles with dragons and whimsical applications of magic, while also getting surprisingly dark at times with the way Channellers pull their magic—and how far some are willing to go to exert their power. We’re also slightly obsessed with its explosive love triangle that will actually have fans divided over who Éadha should love (we’re unapologetically Team Gry at this point). The book also comes with a handy pronunciation guide for readers unfamiliar with Irish names, which really helped with our immersion as the names became effortless in our heads. We’ll be the first in line to read the second book, Her Rising Flame, when it releases in November.
(Her Hidden Fire via Viking Books for Young Readers)
Missed our favorites from last month? Click HERE to check out all or our favorite book releases of February 2026.
