It’s the MOST wonderful time of the year *dee dee dee dumm*. Well okay, it’s not Christmas but it is October and there are always such big releases that come out this month so GET. EXCITED. No, but really, there is the most enormous number of books coming out this month, it’s ridiculous.

As always, this is just a list of the books I’m excited about that are coming out in October and not a comprehensive list of ALL the books released in October. So, let us ready our wallets and get PUMPED!

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FANTASY

Ninth House | Leigh Bardugo

RELEASE DATE: 8th October
This doesn’t sound like fantasy from the blurb, but it has been dubbed as one. Either way, we all know we’ll be reading this because HELLO – it’s Leigh Bardugo! I know I’m not the only one out there who is over-gleeful at the fact we’re getting a new story from this brilliant author. My bets are on this being a paranormal story.

The Beautiful| Renée Ahdieh

RELEASE DATE: 8th October
That’s right, not only are we getting new book from Bardugo but new paranormal, historical fiction from Ahdieh! Could this year get any better?! I must admit, I’m disappointed in this cover, Ahdieh deserves something much more imaginative than this. This is set in New Orleans after our MC is forced to flee her life as a dressmaker in Paris. Except there’s a serial killer on the loose and she’s sure she’s on their hit list. Not only that, but it certainly seems there’s a dark underworld feuding as well. This is set in 1872 and I am certainly eager to become absorbed in this murder mystery.

The Name of All Things| Jenn Lyons

RELEASE DATE: 29th October
Another massive release this month is the follow up to The Ruin of Kings which I read and loved earlier this year. This is an expansive and heavy-duty epic fantasy and I can’t wait to see where the story will go next. It’s certainly a commitment, being somewhat confusing to wrap your head around when you first dive into the story, but dang, it pays off and it’s worth it!

The Never Tilting World | Rin Chupeco

RELEASE DATE: 15th October

Okay, try this one for size. This is dubbed as Frozen + Mad Max and for fans of Fury Born. Jeeeez. Selling it up or what?! BUT – I want to read this. It’s about a world where a sister’s betrayal caused the world to stop spinning. Now, it’s ruled by twin sisters: one rules the ever frozen half of the planet, and the other rules the scorched desert half where the sun is never relenting. Shadowy forces draw them together and set them on a mission to find a way to heal the planet. This is basically Frozen but EPIC.

Fireborne | Rosaria Munda

RELEASE DATE: 15th October
ALRIGHT, here’s another big claim to fame! We’ve got Game of Thrones meets Red Rising – I cannot even comprehend the sheer awesomeness that is supposedly in this book’s pages. A revolution changes this world as now everyone gets the chance to test into the dragonrider governing class. (I’m sold already). Our two female leads are rivals for the top dragonriding position in the fleet. But then things change and they’re faced with impossible decisions as war rises up and lives are at stake.

Into the Crooked Place | Alexandra Christo

RELEASE DATE: 8th October
Another Alexandra Christo book! I’m so excited! Christo wrote To Kill A Kingdom which I absolutely loved and I can’t wait for this duology. We have four crooks leading this story and there is magic involved. There’s a busker, a gangster, a warrior and a resistance fighter. I love that combo. Naturally, they accidentally spark the greatest conflict in decades and they must band together to try and save the world they live in.

A River of Royal Blood | Amanda Joy

RELEASE DATE:  29th October
**Alert** North African inspired fantasy!! This sounds so good – two sisters must fight to the death to win the crown! I love these sorts of premises, and this setting! We have a princess born with magick that hasn’t been seen for generations, an Ivory Throne, a dark history and assassins. I cannot wait for this to be released.

Gravemaidens | Kelly Coon

RELEASE DATE:  29th October
This, I like the sound of. It sounds inspired from Viking traditions. When the ruler of this world falls deathly ill, three maidens are chosen to be sacrificed with him when he dies. They believe they will go on to live an even greater life. But when our MC’s little sister is chosen, she knows it to be really a death trap. And now it’s up to her to do what she can to save her sister before it’s too late. She’s going to do this by plotting a way to . . . heal the ruler. I LOVE IT. ANTI-ASSASSINATION!

Beyond the Black Door | A.M. Strickland

RELEASE DATE: 29th October
This sounds like a curious read. Our MC is a soulwalker and it seems that people’s souls appear as places to her, places she can walk through. Some nice, some not so nice. But in every one, she sees a black door and her mother has warned her never to go through this. But then tragedy strikes and when she hears her name whispered through the door, she opens it. I’m curious, I’m keen, I’m ready for this story.

The Crier’s War | Nina Varela

RELEASE DATE: 1st October
In this fantasy world we have a cool concept going on. After a great war, automae were created to be the playthings of royals. Except they revolted and usurped the throne. Now humans work as their servants and our main character, a servant in the Sovereign’s home, dreams of avenging her family’s death. The most unusual premise then takes place where I believe our rebellious MC falls in love with the Sovereign and then it’s all chaos in a plight for love.

Angel Mage | Garth Nix

RELEASE DATE: 1st October
A new Garth Nix book? I know! This one is a paranormal fantasy about angels and magic. Honestly, the blurb is exhaustingly long and I didn’t make it through the whole thing but I’m sure judging by the awesome cover and the fact it’s Nix, it’ll be great.

Shadow Frost |  Coco Ma

RELEASE DATE: 1st October
In this fantasy world, we have a beast that is terrorising the kingdom and killing people. No trained soldier has ever returned from a mission to kill it. Our MC, the princess, takes it upon herself to slay this beast once and for all. She has a team of friends helping her – but then the book takes a twist. She uncovers a plan that was for her own assassination and this causes them all to question how much of their lives have been lies. Truth be told, this seems like a huge conclusion to jump to but I’m willing to give this story a go because it seems promising.

The Memory Thief |  Lauren Mansy

RELEASE DATE: 1st October
This is a curious one. It’s set in a world where memories are currency. The wealthy and powerful sell off prisoner’s memories, with particular ‘Gifted’ people having this ability to extract someone’s memories. I’m not quite sure how this works with worth and value but I’m sure we’ll find out. The MC’s mother is in an asylum when it’s threatened that they will auction off her mother’s memories, the MC goes to dark depths to do what she must to save her mother.

The Good Luck Girls |  Charlotte Nicole Davis

RELEASE DATE: 1st October
GUYS!! This is dubbed as Westworld meets The Handmaid’s Tale and I’m sold just on that. We have five women leading this story and they were all sold to a ‘welcome house’ as young girls. One of them accidentally murders a man, and the run begins. They risk a dangerous escape to freedom pursued by both humans and the inhuman equipped only with the knowledge passed down to them through a bedtime story. I’ve no idea what’s really going to happen in this book, but I am SO intrigued.

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SCI-FI

War Girls | Tochi Onyebuchi

RELEASE DATE: 15th October
Hold your hats ladles and jellyspoons, this is dubbed as a futuristic, Black Panther-inspired Nigeria. *drops all the hats*. Two girls must fight to find their way back to each other. It’s set in 2172 when climate change and nuclear war have made most of the earth uninhabitable. People have fled to the stars. But in Nigeria, a war wages and people use mechanical soldiers, fitted out with bionic limbs to protect themselves. Everything about this sounds amazing.

Tarnished are the Stars | Rosiee Thor

RELEASE DATE: 15th October
In this story we have a girl with a clockwork heart which is most definitely illegal. She works on the black market supplying illegal medical technology, where she’s known as the Technician. Another character makes it his mission to discover the true identity of the Technician in order to please and impress his father – but along the way he begins to question whether his father’s affections are even worth it after all. Then I believe there is also an assassin but I’m already to excited to work out how that fits in.

Supernova Era | Cixin Liu

RELEASE DATE: 22nd October
I’m really tempted to run to the bookstore now for this one. After a star dies eight lightyears away, Earth is showered in deadly levels of radiation and this changes things forever: within a year, everyone over the age of 13 will die. So it’s a scramble to pass on knowledge so the children and carry humanity onwards – but do they want to continue the world their parents had made? I’m so eager for this story.

The Light at the Bottom of the World |  London Shah

RELEASE DATE: 29th October 
I like the concept of this book but I’m not confident it’s going to be amazing (I guess we’ll have to read it to find out). This is set on earth after the water levels have risen and even London is an underwater city. Humanity hopes one day to reclaim the earth. Our MC’s father is in jail for a crime she knows he didn’t commit (to do with a debilitating illness called the Seasickness). There’s a Submersible Marathon that’s held by the government and she gets the chance to race in it: it’s her chance because the winner is given whatever their heart desires. So off she goes on a mission to save her father whilst battle the scary undersea world of London and is up against a corrupt government. There’s a LOT of potential for this story!

Salvaged |  Madeleine Roux

RELEASE DATE: 15th October
Here’s we have a Sci-Fi thriller and it sounds GOOD. Our MC is on the run from her life: she hates it, she hates her job and she’s made it all the way to outer space. Here, she is a ‘janitor’. Which means she cleans up after scientific experiments gone wrong. She’s given a job to clean up a ship where it’s thought all the crew are dead. But when she gets there, they’re all very much so alive. Just not entirely human. There’s an alien parasite infecting them and it’s up to her to stop it before it spreads and wipes out the whole of humanity.

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HISTORICAL FICTION

The Giver of Stars | Jojo Moyes

RELEASE DATE: 8th October
I’m unsure as to whether I’ll actually end up reading this one day – whilst I loved Me Before You I’ve not actually picked up any of Moyes’ other books. However, this is set in the Depression in America and sounds like a really great story!

The Fountains of Silence | Ruta Sepetys

RELEASE DATE: 1st October
Seriously, we are getting all the big names this month. Ruta Sepetys is the author of Salt to the Sea which made quite a big splash when it came out (no pun intended). Now, The Fountains of Silence, sounds like another book right up my alley. Whilst I’ve yet to read her previous book, I just know this is a book for me. Set in Fascist Spain, 1957, this takes a look at some of the darker corners of Spain’s history and I so want to know more.

Cilka’s Journey | Heather Morris

RELEASE DATE: 1st October
I have no idea what this story is about because it’s the sequel to The Tattooist of Auschwitz and I didn’t want to spoiler anything for myself. However, book one is high up on my TBR and I was surprised to see that it isn’t a standalone! Now I’m even more motivated to get on and read it.

Words on Fire | Jennifer A. Nielsen

RELEASE DATE: 1st October
I love the sound of this book! It’s middle-grade historical fiction, set in WWII, Lithuania. Hands up if you’re excited about a Lithuanian setting! *raises six hands* This follows the story of a girl who’s life is changed when Russian Cossack soldiers finally arrive at her home, her parents tell her to flee and take a mysterious package with her. Finding herself swept up in a resistance group, she’s hoping she might find a way to save her parents from whatever fate awaited them back at their home.

Empire of Lies |  Raymond Khoury

RELEASE DATE: 1st October
Finally! Some alternate historical fiction! This is set in a world where the Ottoman Empire didn’t fall but conquered the world. It’s split perspective between 1683 and 2017. The Notre Dame is renamed the Fatih Mosque and America is the ‘Christian Republic of America’. And there’s a curious, tattooed man who appears in both eras. I love the sound of this and I can’t wait to read more.

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CONTEMPORARY

Twice in a Blue Moon | Christina Lauren

RELEASE DATE: 22nd October
This contemporary writing duo (Christina + Lauren = two authors) are suddenly on my radar after I read Autoboyography earlier this year. This honestly sounds like insta-love in a Farmer Wants a Wife sort of way, but hey, maybe it’ll be fun. Our MC is the hidden/secret daughter of a celebrity and she reveals this big secret to a guy she gets a mega-crush on who lives on a farm. And suddenly the secret is out. They meet ten years later and now she has to decide whether she can forgive him and ‘rekindle’ their love. I laugh, but I’m also interested.

Some Places More Than Others | Renée Watson

RELEASE DATE:  15th October
This is a beautiful own voices contemporary coming out this month! I confess I have already read and reviewed this so you can check out my thoughts HERE. It’s middle-grade fiction about a girl who, inspired by a school project, sets out to find out more about her family’s history and her own heritage. It’s absolutely beautiful and I would highly recommend.

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And that’s a wrap!

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~~ Kirstie ~~

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