Holly Black Excerpt, New Harry Potter Books & Elise Kova’s Finale 🧚📚

Hello, lovely reader

Some weeks the book news arrives in a gentle trickle. This week it came all at once, and every piece made us want to curl up with a blanket and a stack of well-loved books. Here’s what’s new in Elfhame, at Hogwarts, and in the tarot-inked world of Arcana Academy.

🧚 A First Glimpse of Madoc’s Mortal Exile

Folk of Elfhame, this one’s for you. ScreenRant has shared an exclusive excerpt from A Conspiracy of Charming Monsters: Illustrated Tales from Elfhame, Holly Black’s new collection arriving 3 November 2026.

The excerpt follows Madoc after his attempt to seize the throne ends in defeat and he’s left to cope with life in the mortal world. It includes a wonderfully ordinary trip to Costco, which is a long way from the Court of Shadows. If you’ve ever wondered what becomes of a general of Faerie once the war is over, this is your first answer.

The collection gathers six tales with full-colour illustrations by Solenne Songer of Frostbite Studios. Two of them have never been published before. One explores Madoc’s inner life during his exile, and the other captures the moment High King Cardan realises what he most desires. For anyone who has lived in The Folk of the Air since The Cruel Prince, that second story feels like a small gift.

With release day less than two weeks away, it’s a lovely moment for a re-read of the trilogy, with tea and a soft blanket close by. If you’d like something Elfhame-flavoured to read in, our The Cruel Prince Collection is waiting.

🪄 Two New Pocket Potters Are Heading to Hogwarts

Bloomsbury has announced two new additions to its Pocket Potters series: one on Professor McGonagall, and one on Fred and George Weasley. They’re slim, 32-page illustrated hardcovers, designed as little character guides to the Harry Potter stories.

They’ll be published in the UK on 23 February 2027, with other regions. They join the existing Pocket Potters on Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore and Luna, plus Hagrid and Dobby, who were added earlier this year. The guides are reportedly spoiler-light, so younger readers can meet the characters first and discover the original stories at their own pace.

The timing is no accident. The books arrive as HBO prepares its new Harry Potter series, and families everywhere are likely to be pulling the old paperbacks off the shelf. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or introducing a small reader to the Great Hall, these look made for gifting, and the sort of thing that slips neatly into a stocking.

On cold evenings, the best way to revisit Hogwarts is still the old one: a hot drink, a favorite chair, and something warm to wear. Our Cozy Hoodies & Sweatshirts were made for exactly that.

🃏 Elise Kova’s Final Arcana Academy Chapter Is on the Horizon

Elise Kova’s Queen of the Last World, book three in the Arcana Academy series, is set to arrive in July 2027. Kova has shared that book three is the final book in the world of Arcana Academy, so this is the finale we’ve all been waiting for.

If you’re new to the series, it follows Clara Graysword, an illegal tarot-card inker who is pulled into the elite Arcana Academy and a dangerous bargain with Prince Kaelis. It’s a world of enemies-to-lovers tension, dark academia and magic that flows through inked tarot cards. Prince of Swords, book two, arrived in July 2026 and picks up right where the first book ends.

That leaves a gap of about nine months, which is just right for a slow re-read of books one and two. You’ll catch the clues you missed the first time, and you’ll be ready when the final chapter arrives.

If you’d like a little Elise Kova on your shelf while you wait, our Air Awakens Collection is a lovely place to wander.

💌 Until Next Time

Elfhame, Hogwarts and Eclipse City all have something new for us, and we’re quite happy about it. Whichever world you’re slipping back into first, we hope there’s a warm drink within reach.

With love,
The Bean Workshop 🫘