on reading

The must-read indie books coming to your shelf in 2022 [SPECIAL POST]

Today I am thrilled to share with you an EPIC list of indie books that are coming your way in 2022. What started as a small idea to champion the work of indie authors has snowballed into an incredible collection of more than 70 upcoming titles from more than 50 writers. Come check it out and show your support to the indie book community!!

About the initiative

As many of you know, 2022 is the year I am making my first foray into publishing with my contemporary YA novel Holding Up the Sky. I am extremely excited, slightly terrified, and eager to learn from and celebrate with the indie authors who have come before me. So I had an idea.

But what began as a small idea to help champion other indie authors who are publishing a book in 2022 has snowballed into something even bigger and better than I first imagined. Last month, I posted on Instagram asking for details about other indie books due to release this year, and I received an overwhelming response from more than 50 authors of more than 70 upcoming books!

It has taken me a while to put together, but today I am thrilled to finally share with you an EPIC collection of indie books that are coming your way in 2022. Though I haven’t been able to include full descriptions here due to the sheer volume of titles, if you read on you’ll find out how to hone in on the books that might interest you and where you can go for more information…

How to navigate the collection

This collection of indie books is listed by audience > genre > anticipated publication date. You can jump to any of the major sections by clicking on the links below:

CHILDREN’S:

The details for each book are presented as shown below. (*Note that not all books yet have a dedicated page for more information. Please check back again later or reach out to the author.)

REP KEY:

🏳️‍🌈 = LGBTQIA+

💞 = polyamory

🖤 = BIPOC

💚 = mental health

♿ = disability or chronic illness

♾ = neurodiverse

Now that the basics have been covered, let’s get on to the collection itself. I hope you enjoy browsing the list of 2022 indie books below, and please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!!

Adult Books

—FANTASY—

Waking Ursa Minor (Riverda Rising #1)

Helen Rygh-Pedersen

DARK EPIC FANTASY

22 February 2022

The Curse of a Kingdom (The Wicked Kingdom #2)

Abbey Fox

FANTASY ROMANCE

22 March 2022

Spiritchild

Danielle Lauren

HIGH FANTASY

25 April 2022

Magic & Moons: A Fantasy Collection

B.N. Laux & others**

FANTASY SHORT STORIES

21 June 2022

**B.N. Laux, McKenzie Burns, Jade Bartlett, M.J. Carstarphen, Caitlin Cochrane, Kirsty Ghostly, Dewi Hargreaves, Julia Scott, E.G. Tudor, Paul Williams

These Hollow Shores (Tides of Fate #2)

A.P. Walston

FANTASY ROMANCE

01 August 2022

Lume

T.M. Ghent

SPECULATIVE FICTION

10 November 2022

Kobu Demon

Kyle H. Evans

DARK FANTASY 💚

Late 2022

—PARANORMAL / URBAN FANTASY—

Of Mates & Magic (Eliza Falls #1)

Maggie Francis

PARANORMAL ROMANCE

19 January 2022

Aryan’s Alpha (Deimos Trilogy #2)

Melony Ann

PARANORMAL ROMANCE

01 February 2022

Improper Mage

Taylor Westwood

PARANORMAL ROMANCE

14 March 2022

A Thin Witchline Between Love & Hate

T.L. Brown

PARANORMAL WOMEN’S FIC

29 March 2022

Dark Fate: A Shifters Fury

Karley Stafford

DARK URBAN FANTASY 🏳️‍🌈

24 August 2022

—SCIENCE FICTION—

The Cosmic Principle (The Nexus Series #1)

Abby R Laughlin

SCI FI ADVENTURE 🏳️‍🌈

31 March 2022

Shadow Stalking (The Shadow Trilogy #2)

Amber Forbes

SCIENCE FICTION 💚

19 July 2022

—ROMANCE—

Fighting For Justice (De Luca Mafia #2)

Anneke Boshoff

ROMANCE SUSPENSE

22 January 2022

Light in the Dark (Moon Harbor #1)

Kate McWilliams

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE 🖤

15 February 2022

Hell’s Bells (Raven Song #4)

Jennifer Brasington-Crowley

ROMANCE 💚

17 February 2022

Nightingale (Stillwaters #3)

Jennifer Brasington-Crowley

ROMANCE 🏳️‍🌈💚

17 February 2022

Dìonadair (Tango Down Duet #1)

Louise Murchie

SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE 💞

21 February 2022

Crashing Into You

Melony Ann

COP ROMANCE 💚

08 March 2022

A Country Wedding (Montana Country #2)

Anneke Boshoff

ROMANCE

01 April 2022

Rising From the Ashes (Lucinio Family #1)

Melony Ann

DARK MAFIA ROMANCE

26 April 2022

The One Who Loves Me (Sovereign Love #2)

Joan Embola

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE 🖤

21 May 2022

For the Boys

Amanda Chaperon

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

01 June 2022

Assassin’s Girl (De Luca Mafia #3)

Anneke Boshoff

ROMANCE SUSPENSE

07 June 2022

Light Me Up (Moon Harbor #2)

Kate McWilliams

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE 🖤♿

23 June 2022

Meant to Bee

Storm Schultz

CHRISTIAN ROMANCE

20 August 2022

Into the Light (Moon Harbor #3)

Kate McWilliams

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

15 September 2022

New Adult Books

—FANTASY—

The Uncrowned Queen

Lucy Steele

FANTASY ROMANCE

01 February 2022

A Legacy of Storms and Starlight

Victoria J. Price

HIGH FANTASY

22 February 2022

Storm of Chaos and Shadows

C.L. Briar

FANTASY ROMANCE

08 March 2022

Daylight’s Curse

Tyffany Hackett

FANTASY

21 April 2022

Cities of Smoke & Starlight

Alli Earnest

SCIENCE FANTASY

04 May 2022

Shadow of Fire (The Fires of Aileryan #1)

Kate Schumacher

HIGH FANTASY

05 May 2022

The Unmarked Witch

Miranda Lyn

FANTASY ROMANCE 🏳️‍🌈🖤

20 September 2022

Realm of Lore and Lies (Fair Ones #1)

Claire Wright

FANTASY

03 October 2022

Of Fate & Fury: A Deadly Sin Anthology

Lina C. Amarego & others**

FANTASY 🏳️‍🌈💚🖤

15 October 2022

The Call for Finis: Lust

A.J. Torres

FANTASY 🏳️‍🌈

01 November 2022

**Lina C. Amarego, Cassidy Clarke, C.M. McCann, Cass Maren, Maddie Jensen, L.E. Reiner, Kayla Whittle, Stacey Willis

Legacy of the Night (The Ravinia Duology #1)

McKenzie Burns

FANTASY 🏳️‍🌈

18 November 2022

There’s a Dagger in Your Back

Stacey Willis

FANTASY MYSTERY 🏳️‍🌈🖤

25 November 2022

Blade of Dragons (Ethereal Seals #1)

Ed White

SCIENCE FANTASY

Late 2022

—PARANORMAL / URBAN FANTASY—

Wolves of Duty

Charlotte Murphy

PARANORMAL FANTASY 🏳️‍🌈🖤

02 March 2022

Mark of Kóri (The Daughter of Fire Saga #3)

Stacey Willis

PARANML URBAN FTSY 🏳️‍🌈🖤

25 June 2022

—SCIENCE FICTION—

Retribution (Starganauts #2)

C.E. Stone

CHRISTIAN SPACE OPERA

04 May 2022

—ROMANCE—

Ear to the Serpent

Stacey Willis

THRILLER ROMANCE 🏳️‍🌈🖤

05 March 2022

Illicit Dose of Chaos (Love Sick #2)

Regina Ann Faith

EROTIC ROMANCE

28 March 2022

When we were out of the ordinary

Elen Chase

ROMANCE 🏳️‍🌈♾

30 June 2022

From Conundrums to Kisses (WORKING TITLE)

Joanne Lambo

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE 💚🖤

Spring-Summer (NH) 2022

Young Adult Books

—FANTASY—

Empire of Traitors (Cursed Empire #2)

Rachel Schade

FANTASY

21 January 2022

The Witch of Ellesmere

Kirsty Inic

FANTASY 🏳️‍🌈

31 January 2022

In Hiding We Seek (Gemini Warriors #1)

Keko V

FANTASY 🏳️‍🌈

03 March 2022

Pirate Hunter Legends

Sarah Rodecker and Helena George

FANTASY SHORT STORIES

08 March 2022

Revenge and Forgiveness

A.J. Torres

HIGH FANTASY

12 April 2022

The Spell Keeper (The Magian Series #3)

M.J. McGriff

PIRATE FANTASY 🖤

19 April 2022

Fitzgerald

Sarita Day

FANTASY

02 May 2022

Through the Flames

McKenzie Burns

FANTASY 💚

14 May 2022

Empire of Monsters (Cursed Empire #3)

Rachel Schade

FANTASY

20 May 2022

The Wandering Tree (Creatures of Dreams #1)

M.J. Carstarphen

FANTASY

01 June 2022

Vows & Villainy (Hands of Fate #2)

Darby Cupid

FANTASY ROMANCE 🏳️‍🌈🖤♿

03 June 2022

Disparaging Her Hope (Her Story #2)

Tara Webb

FANTASY

06 June 2022

From These Dark Depths (Aisling Sea #2)

Vanessa Rasanen

FANTASY 💚

16 August 2022

Empire of Ruins (Cursed Empire #4)

Rachel Schade

FANTASY

21 October 2022

Honor in Ruin (Thálassíti’s Fire #1)

Bethany Olin

FANTASY

04 October 2022

Title TBA (Spark and Blizzard #1)

Janine Batiste

SCIENCE FANTASY

Q4 2022

—PARANORMAL / URBAN FANTASY—

A Ruthless Bloody Betrayal (AABD #2)

Lindsay Clement

PARANORMAL ROMANCE 🏳️‍🌈💚🖤

17 January 2023 [updated]

—SCIENCE FICTION—

Solemn Vow (The Guild Trilogy #3)

Emma K.C. Couette

DYSTOPIAN 💚 (CW)

23 February 2022

The 716

S.J. Pratt

SCIENCE FICTION

08 March 2022

Rebels

Abby Smith

APOCALYPTIC SCI FI

12 June 2022

Escape from Mathebos

Sarah Rodecker

SCIENCE FICTION

06 September 2022

Ever: The Luminary (Ever #3)

Kaylee Stepkoski

SCIENCE FICTION

07 September 2022

Here We Stand (How We Rise #3)

Brooke Riley

DYSTOPIAN

Late 2022

—CONTEMPORARY—

Kisses & Stones

D.Allyson Howlett

CONTEMPORARY

18 February 2022

Holding Up the Sky

Rebecca Alasdair

CONTEMPORARY 🏳️‍🌈💚

02 November 2022

Children’s Books

—ADVENTURE—

Return to Bethlehem (Bible Adventurers #2)

Lesley Ann Barklay

BIBLICAL ADVENTURE ♾

04 May 2022


What indie books are on your TBR list for 2022? Do any of the above pique your interest?

I'm an Australian indie author who hoards books, loves dogs and coffee, and has a tendency of staying up all night!

17 Comments

  • Tomas

    Considering how hard it is to get even single sales as a self-published author, it’s a nice initiative you’ve started. Best of luck to you, everyone on the list, and anyone else who’s taking those brave steps.

    • Rebecca Alasdair

      Visibility is definitely one of the toughest challenges to overcome, so I’m glad to do a little something to help in this regard. I’m looking forward to checking out some of these books myself!! 😀

      • Tomas

        Exactly, I still don’t know what, exactly, should I do. If anything, before my trilogy is complete, as one of the tips is to focus on finishing it and promoting series as a whole. I’m a nerd who likes writing stories, marketing them… not so much.

        • Rebecca Alasdair

          I hear you!! It’s kind of a necessary evil, isn’t it? People have to know about and be encouraged to buy your book(s), but that’s easier said than done when you’re doing it all on your own! 😅

  • Helena George

    This is so super cool! Kudos to you for putting this all together, and congrats to all these lovely authors (myself included HAHA) who are putting in the elbow grease to get these books out!! <3

  • Alex

    This is awesome! You are very thoughtful Rebecca. Very kind too. You rock, my friend, and this is a great way to support fellow writers :).

      • Alex

        You’re welcome, Rebecca :). 🙂 I found this to be so thoughtful. It’s a challenge to get our writing noticed and this is a wonderful way to help indie writers. 🙂 I have a humongous TBR, but I’m adding books to it from this post.

        🙂 Thank you again for putting this together. I can tell that you put a lot of effort and time. It paid off. 🙂 Kudos, Rebecca 🙂 Have a wonderful week. Take care :).

    • Alex

      Hi Ari! (Small world! I did not know you knew Rebecca too. I know her from Twitter :)). Haha I feel the same way. So many cool books to add to the TBR! 🙂

      • Ari

        lol yes, I’ve known Rebecca for a while. I have been following her blog for ages. I always feel the blogging community is quite a strong community.

        • Alex

          Haha nice! I too have known her for some time, I believe since 2019. That’s cool that the blogging community is strong. You and Rebecca are rad :). Take care :).

Leave a Reply