10 Aro, Ace & Demisexual Books To Read In 2026
- Proud Geek
- 7 days ago
- 7 min read
It's time once again to look at some of the best queer books being released this year with characters on the asexual and aromantic spectrum. From asexual horror to demisexual romance and aromantic short story collections, here are our 10 most anticipated aro, ace & demisexual books coming out in 2026.
Note: some release dates of these books may be pushed back and covers may change.
Jade Song
Genre: Dark Adult Lit-Fic
Queer Rep: Asexual Women, Queer Cast
19 March 2026
For as far back as she can remember, Vicky has been fascinated and obsessed with death as the only inevitable thing in life. From living above a Chinatown funeral parlor to working at a celebrity start-up for bespoke urns, she has surrounded herself with death - in her home, in her work, and in her ever-growing collection of zhizha, paper creations meant to be burned for the dead, adorning the walls of her apartment.
Yet, though living in Manhattan and working her dream job is all she ever wanted, she still struggles to have meaningful connections in her life. Too often she spends the day in bed, only drawn out from time to time by her best (and only) friend, Jen.
That changes when a dating app leads her into a throuple with an artist and a labor organizer, who offer exactly the kind of love she needs. For some time, it’s perfect, but no one understands better than Vicky that all things must end. As doubts grow over the love in her life, her friendship with Jen, and her professional success, the oddly comforting abstraction of death starts becoming something else altogether.
Edited by Madeline Dyer & Rosiee Thor
Genre: Anthology & Short Stories
Queer Rep: Arospec Cast
26 May 2026
Being Aro is a collection of short stories in genres like science fiction, fantasy, historical, and contemporary that shines a light on aromantic relationships and experiences, as well as the many other sub-identities under the aromantic umbrella.
From high-school matchmaking mishaps to battling book banning with dragons, this anthology is rich in imagination and diverse in its perspectives, showcasing aro characters that go on adventures, form friendships, and rise against the status quo.
Contributors include a mixture of established and emerging YA writers, such as Lammy Award-finalist Madeline Dyer, Lammy Award-nominated Rosiee Thor, USA Today bestselling Kemi Ashing-Giwa, and NYT bestselling authors Kalyn Josephson and Laura Pohl.
Al Hess
Genre: Adult Fantasy Romance
Queer Rep: Asexual Men, Queer Cast
10 March 2026
A brutal assault nine months ago left eccentric portrait artist Micah with facial scars and PTSD. He’s struggled to leave his apartment ever since, and he can’t let anyone in. Then his only sanctuary is disrupted by signs of a haunting.
Between the 80s synth pop and motivation messages scrawled on his bathroom mirror, Micah finds himself more charmed than frightened by who he believes to be Cosmo, the deceased previous resident of his apartment. But when Cosmo’s ghostly visits suddenly stop, Micah is determined to lure him back.
Meanwhile, sculpture artist Cosmo - dramatic, unconventional, and very much alive - is mourning his old self. His boyfriend’s a serial cheater, he’s continually passed over for a promotion at work, and he’s lost contact with his best friend. To make matters worse, his apartment is being haunted by the ghost of a bespectacled man with an eye socket of scars. It’s his last straw, and seeking a new start, Cosmo moves out.
CG Drews
Genre: YA Horror
Queer Rep: Asexual Men
29 October 2026
The only thing Jonathan Covey wants from the gloomy, moldering isle of Kelcarrow is to leave it. Summer is ending, and his friends are looking forward to college on the mainland, unaware that Jonathan was not accepted to join them. He'll be left behind with nothing but the ocean's haunts and a rising dread of being abandoned.
In an act of wild desperation, Jonathan pays a tithe to Scorpion Deep, an eldritch sea god who many of the locals have dismissed as myth. He wants to forget the past, he wants to follow his friends, and most of all he wants to finally escape.
To his shock and horror, the ritual works - Scorpion Deep awakens. And despite his terror, Jonathan can't help but feel drawn toward the ageless entity that seems just as mutually obsessed with him. As scales start growing down his spine and Scorpion Deep's adoration of him turns bloody, Jonathan realizes the only way to end the nightmare is to destroy the monster one way or another.
Janine Janssen & S. Al Sabado
Genre: Fantasy Romance - Graphic Novel
Queer Rep: Demisexual Men, Queer Cast
15 January 2026
Boy moves to new city. Boy meets vampire. They kiss, then become friends. But both would like something more… The second volume of LES NORMAUX - the global Webtoon phenomenon about friendship, love and magic.
Magic and mayhem collide in supernatural Paris as Sébastien, a young wizard, comes to terms with his demisexuality and explores his growing feelings for his neighbor Elia - a hot supermodel vampire.
Join Elia, Sébastien and their assorted crew of wonderful friends, as they navigate the ins and outs of dating and relationships in this modern and paranormal love story.
Cate Baumer
Genre: Gothic Fantasy
Queer Rep: Asexual Women, Queer Cast
13 February 2025
In a holy walled city where sin and sanctity are revealed through touch, Csilla - a girl born without a soul - is worth little to the Church that raised her. But when a series of murders corrodes the faithful magic that keep the city safe, the Church elders see a use for her she can assassinate their prime suspect, a heretic with divine heritage, without risking the stain of sin.
The heretic, however, makes Csilla a clear his name by helping him catch the real killer, and he'll use his angelic gifts to grant her very own soul. Meanwhile, ruthless Ilan, desperate to earn back his position as Church Inquisitor, sees the case as his chance at he'll bring in the murderer - or, failing that, Csilla and the heretic - and regain his title.
But as the death toll rises, and their hunt pits them against the all-powerful and callous Faith, Csilla finds herself torn. Will her salvation come at the cost of everything she believes in?
Shazleen Khan
Genre: YA Romance - Graphic Novel
Queer Rep: Demisexual Trans Men, Queer Cast
25 June 2026
On New Year's Eve 1997, in the bustling city of Salwa, Zach, a down-on-his-luck phone operator, receives a misdialed call from a distressed man named Zhen which sparks an undeniable connection. Zach is thrown into a search for his mystery man that stretches across multiple cities and a tangled web of exes, missed connections, and frenemies.
Set in the vibrant, low-fantasy realm of Dawlat Al-Harir - an eclectic melting pot inspired by Silk Road history and rich Asian and African Islamic cultures - BUUZA!! is a queer YA romance that features a uniquely dynamic blend of magical realism and political drama, with a richly diverse cast and an intricate plot that explores themes of identity, family, and transformation. This story will take readers on a captivating journey through a world where the divine and mundane collide in the most unexpected ways.
Lexy Hudson
Genre: Adult Fantasy Romance
Queer Rep: Asexual Women
26 May 2026
This propulsive, gorgeously-written fantasy romance will pull you into a dazzling world of dancing and danger, fae and fairytales, and a love that endures against all odds. Musical and immersive, this stunning debut is perfect for fans of The Night Circus and The Moonlight Market.
London, 1986. Trix, a young dancer in the British Classical Ballet Company, has been striving for years to make a name for herself in the competitive and unforgiving world of elite ballet.
Aleksander 'Sander' Sylvan is the company’s mysterious, meteoric rising star, whose talents are like nothing anyone has seen before. An eleventh-hour illness among the cast of The Sleeping Beauty changes everything; Trix and Sander are thrown together in the lead roles, surprising everyone with their chemistry. Soon the pair become the company’s star attraction, their sizzling on-stage partnership fuelling speculation about their private lives.
Trix knows she’s falling for Sander, but relationships have always been difficult for her, and as they grow closer, she cannot help but wonder about his past. Who is Sander really?
Cooklin
Genre: Graphic Memoir - Graphic Novel
Queer Rep: Asexual Women
19 February 2026
Growing up, Caitlin Cook knew the recipe for social success from watching television and reading books: two best friends, two enemies, and a boyfriend. So she arranged her life accordingly: making friends and dreaming of the boys she met in school. But she felt that inside, something was wrong with her.
Because though she wanted to get close to people, every time she experimented with sex, she just felt bored. This graphic novel follows Caitlin Cook, who is asexual but does not yet fully realize it. From evangelical purity politics to the footloose college campus, Caitlin navigates different worlds each with their own sexual orthodoxies, and clumsily attempts to fit into each of them.
A thoughtful and immersive coming-of-age memoir about one girl's struggle to figure out and then claim her asexual identity.
Sydney Langford
Genre: YA Romance
Queer Rep: Demisexual Women, Pansexual Men
20 April 2026
Every teenager in America knows eighteen-year-old Felix Song, the lead singer of the most popular boy band since One Direction. Unfortunately, Natalie Nielsen is no exception. Though she thinks of him more as an annoying rich kid from her hometown than a heartthrob.
Uninterested in stardom, Natalie dreams of honoring her late dad’s legacy and making a positive impact on her beloved Deaf community by revamping her family’s run-down Deaf Center. The issue? She has no money. When Felix's little sister's hearing loss begins to accelerate, he gives Natalie a generous job offer that would help secure the Center’s future: but she must accompany him on tour this summer to teach him ASL.
What begins as a professional arrangement soon morphs into stolen kisses and late-night rendezvous. But as their connection deepens, so do the risks - and when their relationship suddenly takes center stage, it’s not only their hearts, but Felix’s career on the line. Between relentless public scrutiny, contractual obligations, and meddling band members, Natalie must decide if their dreams can co-exist in the spotlight.
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