October is on its way, and so it’s time to look forward and see what great books are releasing this October 2020! I’m pleased to say that many of them are LGBTQ, which I think is great progress in terms of representation.
If you want to check out the releases of September instead, you can do that here.
New Book Releases October Overview
Jump directly to information about:
- Salt Slow: Short Stories focused on women and their experiences in society. Magical Realism, LGBTQ
- The Tower of Nero: YA/Middle Grade adventure Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Mythology, LGBTQ
- In a Holidaze: Adult Romance, Time Travel, Contemporary
- The Devil and the Dark Water: Thriller, Detective, Adult Fantasy, Historical Fiction
- Return of the Thief: YA Adventure Fantasy, Mythology
- Magic Lessons: Historical Fantasy, Adult, Witches
- The Lives of Saints: YA Fantasy, Short stories
- The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue: Adult Fantasy
- The Archive of the Forgotten: Adult Urban Fantasy, Horror, LGBTQ, Paranormal
- Black Sun: Adult Sci-Fi & Fantasy, LGBTQ, Historical Fiction
- The Once and Future Witches: Historical Paranormal Fantasy, Witches
- Lightbringer: YA/NA Fantasy Romance, LGBTQ
- Swamp Thing: Graphic Novel, YA Superhero Fantasy
- The Puppetmaster’s Apprentice: YA Fantasy Retellings
- Beyond the Ruby Veil: YA Fantasy, LGBTQ
- Among the Beasts & Briars: YA Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retellings
- Plain Bad Heroines: YA Horror, Mystery, LGBTQ
- The Last Druid: Epic Action-Adventure Fantasy
- Kingdom of the Wicked: YA Historical Fantasy, Mystery, Time Travel, Witches
- The Tea Dragon Tapestry: Middle Grade, Graphic Novel, Fantasy, LGBTQ, Dragons
Book Releases October 2020
Salt Slow – Julia Armfield
Genre: Magical Realism, LGBTQ, Short Stories
Pubdate: 1st of October
Publisher: Picador USA
It’s a collection of stories about women and their experiences in society. Throughout the stories, women become insects, men turn to stone, a city becomes insomniac, and bodies are picked apart to make up better ones. Mundane worlds are invaded and transformed, creating a landscape that is constantly shifting.
The Tower of Nero (The Trials of Apollo #5) – Rick Riordan
Genre: YA/Middle Grade Adventure Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Mythology, LGBT
Pubdate: 6th of October
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Alright, so the demigods at Camp Jupiter just helped Lester survive attacks from ghouls, an evil Roman king with an undead army, and lethal emperors Caligula and Commodus. Now Lester, the former Greek god Apollo, needs to follow a prophecy if he ever wants to regain his place on Mount Olympus. Lester’s final challenge will take place at the Tower of Nero, in New York. It promises to be an epic showdown!
In a Holidaze – Christina Lauren
Genre: Adult Romance, time travel, contemporary
Pubdate: 6th of October
Publisher: Piatkus
A Christmas story! Who doesn’t love those? Maelyn Jones is not exactly living the life she wants. She lives with her parents and works at a dead-end job which she hates, and she made a big romantic error. And to top it all off, this is the last Christmas Mea will spend with her family in the snowy Utah cabin where they go every holiday, along with two other families. Desperate, she pleads to the universe to show her what will make her happy. The last thing she remembers is tires screeching and metal colliding, and then blackness. But when she wakes up again, she’s on an airplane bound for Utah, to experience the same holiday all over again. And it happens again, and again. Mea must figure out how to break the strange time loop, and get her true love under the mistletoe.
The Devil and the Dark Water – Stuart Turton
Genre: Thriller, Detective, Adult Fantasy, Historical Fiction
Pubdate: 6th of October
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Samuel Pipps is transported to Amsterdam for execution because of a crime he may, or may not, have committed. Traveling with his is his bodyguard, Arent Hayes, who is determined to prove his friend’s innocence. But when they’re out on the sea, the devilry begins. A twice-dead leper stalks the decks, along with strange symbols appearing on the sails, and slaughtered livestock. Then, three passengers are marked for death, including Samuel. Is it the work of a demon? Only Arent can try to solve the mystery before their ship sinks, and everybody on board is killed.
Return of the Thief (The Queen’s Thief #6) – Megan Whalen Turner
Genre: YA Adventure Fantasy, Mythology
Pubdate: 6th of October
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Eugenides has risen to be high king of Ettolia, Eddis, and Sounis, but the Baron Erondites scheme again, and there is a prophecy to foretell the death of the king. To make matters worse, the ruthless Mede empire prepares to strike. Get ready for some political machinations, divine intervention, dangerous journeys, battles, power, passion, and deception.
Magic Lessons: The Prequel to Practical Magic – Alice Hoffman
Genre: Historical Fantasy, Adult, Witches
Pubdate: 6th of October
Publisher: Simon Schuster
This is the story of Maria Owens, who lived in the 1600s, abandoned in a snowy field in rural England as a baby. Raised by Hannah Owens, Maria learns about the “Unnamed Arts.” Maria has a gift, and Hannah teaches the girl everything she knows. The first important lesson: always love someone who will love you back.
Abandoned by the man who has declared his love for her, Maria follows him to Salem. Here she invoked the curse that will haunt her family. It’s here that she learns the rules of magic, and the lessons she will carry with her forever. Love is the only thing that matters.
The Lives of Saints (Grishaverse) – Leigh Bardugo
Genre: YA Fantasy, Short stories
Pubdate: 6th of October
Publisher: Imprint
A new book especially for the Grishaverse. While I loved Ninth House, I have yet to read her other books. I will. At some point.
Anyway, this book contains beautiful illistrations together with stories of the saints who are both in and not in the Shadow and Bone trilogy. Some familiar saints include Sankta Lizabeta of the Roses and Sankt Ilya in Chaints. It’s supposed to provide a fuller background on the Grishaverse, and every story is accompanied with full-color illustrations.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue – V. E. Schwab
Genre: Adult Fantasy
Pubdate: 6th of October
Publisher: Tor Books
In France, 1714, a young, desperate woman bargains to live forever, and in exchange is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. This is the life of Addie LaRue, gauging to see how far she will go to leave her mark on the world. But what happens when, after nearly 300 years, Addie meets a young man in a hidden bookstore who remembers her name?
The Archive of the Forgotten (Hell’s Library #2) – A. J. Hackwith
Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy, Horror, LGBTQ, Paranormal
Pubdate: 6th of October
Publisher: Ace Books
While the Library of the Unwritten in Hell was saved from total destruction, hundreds of potential books were destroyed. Claire, the former librarian, and Brevity, the muse, both feel the loss of the stories and are trying to adjust to their new roles within the Arcane Wing and Library. But when the remains of the destroyed books are starting to leak a strange ink, Claire realizes that the Library has kept secrets from Hell. Claire and Brevity are at odds in their approach. A representative from the Muses Corps arrives to advise Brevity, and the angel Rami and the erstwhile Hero are hunting for answers in other realms. The ink has the potential to change the afterlife for good or ill, but that depends on who is left to hold the pen.
Black Sun (Between Earth and Sky #1) – Rebecca Roanhorse
Genre: Adult Sci-fi & Fantasy, LGBTQ, Historical fiction
Pub date: 13th of October
Publisher: Saga Press
The winter solstice is a time for celebration and renewal in the holy city of Tova. But not this year. This year it coincides with a solar eclipse, which, according to the Sun Priest, is an unbalancing of the world. At the same time, a ship from a distant city is bound for Tova to witness the solstice. Xiala, the captain, is a disgraced Teek whose song can calm the waters around her, and wrap a man’s mind. She has one passenger called Serapio, a harmless, young man, who is blind, scarred, and cloaked in destiny. But is he really so harmless?
The Once and Future Witches – Alix E. Harrow
Genre: Historical Paranormal Fantasy
Pubdate: 13th of October
Publisher: Orbit
After so many burnings, witchcraft has pretty much died out in 1893. Now, it’s just simple charms and nursery rhymes. For any kind of power, a woman needs to find the ballot box. In New Salem, the Eastwood sisters—James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna—join the suffragists, and slowly the women’s movement into the witch’s movement. But there are still forces that will not suffer a with to vote (or live). So, the sisters need to delve into the oldest magics and forge new alliances if they want to survive.
Lightbringer (Empirium #3) – Clair Legrand
Genre: YA/NA Romance Fantasy, LGBTQ
Pubdate: 13th of October
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Queen Rielle turns to Corien and his promises of glory. But whispers from the imperium are slowly driving her mad, urging her to open the Gate. She embraces the role of Blood Queen, determined to become the monster the world believes her to be. Meanwhile, in the future, Eliana arrives in the Empire’s capital, betrayed and abandoned. She fights to keep her power at bay and away from Corien. But then the mysterious Prophet reveals themselves, and everything changes. Rielle and Eliana get a second chance for salvation or destruction.
Swamp Thing: Twin Branches – Maggie Stiefvater & Morgan Beem
Genre: Graphic Novel, YA Superhero Fantasy
Pubdate: 13th of October
Publisher: DC Comics
While they’re twins, Alec and Walker Holland are quite different. One is quiet, and the other is the life of the party. But they’re inseparable even so. For their last summer before college, they go live with their rural cousins, where they find that the swamp holds far darker depths than they could have imagined. Walker carves their names into the new social scene, but Alec goes into a summer school laboratory, working on an experiment on something he brought from home. The experiment will soon consume him.
The Puppetmaster’s Apprentice – Lisa DeSelm
Genre: YA Fantasy Retellings
Pubdate: 13th of October
Publisher: Page Street Kids
The Margrave, Tavia’s ruler, has ordered the dozens of life-size marionette soldiers from the puppetmaster and his apprentice. But as the orders for more soldiers come in with increasingly urgent deadlines, the puppetmaster’s health suffers. Pirouette, his daughter and apprentice, is left to build in his stead. But there’s more—Margrave’s son wants Pirouette to create an assassin, and he wants her to give it life. Pirouette has no choice but to accept, and she’s racing against the rise of the next blue moon, which will give life to her creation. but is she making a masterpiece or a monster?
Beyond the Ruby Veil (Beyond the Ruby Veil #1) – Mara Fitzgerald
Genre: YA Fantasy, LGBTQ
Pubdate: 13th of October
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Emanuela Ragno is used to getting her way. And she refuses to be the demure young lady everyone wants her to be. And so, she’s about to marry Alessandro Morandi, her childhood best friend and heir to the wealthiest house in Occhia. She doesn’t care that both of them are gay; she’s not interested in marrying for love. She wants power. However, according to the rules, when someone receives the bruise-like omen on their skin by the watercrea—a being who uses magic to make water from blood—they need to surrender themselves to be drained of life. It’s the only source of water in Occhia. But Emanuala hasn’t surrendered. And when the watercrea exposes her during her wedding, Emanuala fights back and kills her. Now Occhia has no one to make water, and no idea to get more. Emanuela and Ale must travel through the mysterious, blood-red veil that surrounds the city to uncover the secrets of the watercrea’s magic to find a way to save their people.
Among the Beasts & Briars – Ashley Poston
Genre: YA Fantasy, Fairy tale Retellings
Pubdate: 20th of October
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
In the kingdom of Aloriya there are no droughts, disease, famine, or war. This is all thanks to a bargain the first king made with the Lady who ruled the forest that borders the kingdom. But as Aloriya prospered, the woods grew dark, cursed and forbidden. Cerys knows from experience: when she was young, she barely escaped as the woods killed her friends and her mother. Now Cerys carries a small bit of the magic in her blood. However, a new queen is crowned, and things that were hidden in the woods descend on the kingdom. Cerys has to run, taking with her only a small fox from her garden, a strange and powerful bear, and her magic. She needs to find the legendary Lady of the Wilds and beg her to save her home. But it’s a dark and dangerous road, with secrets of her past uncovered along the way.
Plain Bad Heroines – Emily M. Danforth
Genre: YA Horror, Mystery, LGBTQ
Publisher: William Morrow
Pubdate: 20th of October
Flo and Clara, students at The Brookhants School for Girls, are obsessed with each other and a daring young writer named Mary MacLane, the author of a scandalous bestselling memoir. To show their devotion, the girls create their own private club called ‘The Plain Bad Heroine Society’. They have secret meetings near an apple orchard, where they experience both happiness and macabre death. They’re the victims of a swarm of stinging, angry yellow jackets. Less than five years later, the Brookhants School for Girls closes its doors for good, with three more people mysteriously dying on the property. A century later, the crumbling school building is back in the news when Merrit Emmons publishes a book, celebrating the queer, feminist history surrounding the institution. The book inspires a controversial horror film adaptation, starring Harper Harper But and Audrey Wells. But as they go to Brookhants to film, past and present become grimly entangled, and soon it’s impossible to tell where the curse leaves off and Hollywood begins.
The Last Druid (The Fall of Shannara #4) – Terry Brooks
Genre: Epic Action-Adventure Fantasy
Pubdate: 20th of October
Publisher: Del Rey Books
It’s been a long ride, but the conclusion to the entire Shannara series is finally here. While I have only read the first two books myself, I can imagine this is a book anticipated eagerly by fans.
The Four Lands are battling a brutal invasion from across the sea, a nation that is determined to make the Four Lands their own. What are our heroes willing to risk in order to save the integrity of their home? One group is fighting to defend their homeland, while another undertakes a journey across the sea, to the invaders, carrying a new piece of technology that could change the world forever. Unfortunately, one of their key allies has been banished to the Forbidding: a demon-filled prison from which there is no escape.The one who sent him there now walks freely with a fearsome demon at her side. Can a young girl free her mentor from the Forbidding in time to stop the invasion? Can a strange technology reach the foreign shore in time to alter the fate of two nations?
Can a young girl free her mentor in time to stop an invasion? And can a strange new science reach a foreign shore in time to alter the fate of two nations…providing the device even works?
Kingdom of the Wicked (Kingdom of the Wicked #1) – Kerri Maniscalco
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy, Mystery, Witches
Pubdate: 27th of October
Publisher: JIMMY Patterson
Secretly living among humans are twin sisters Emilia and Vittoria, two streghe-witches. After Vittoria misses dinner service at the family’s Sicilian restaurant, Emilia finds her body, desecrated beyond belief. Emilia is devastated and sets out to find her sister’s killer and seek vengeance at any cost. Even if it means using dark magic. Then she meets Wrath, a Wicked-prince of Hell she has been warned against in childhood tales. He claims to be on Emilia’s side, tasked to help her with solving the series of women’s murders on the island. But when it comes to the Wicked, nothing is as it seems…
The Tea Dragon Tapestry (Tea Dragon #3) – Katie O’Neill
Genre: Middle Grade, Graphic Novel, Fantasy, LGBTQ, Dragons
Pubdate: 27th of October
Publisher: Oni Press
After a year, Greta still can’t chase away the cloud of mourning that hangs over the timid Tea Dragon. She also struggles to create something that’s spectacular enough ti impress a master blacksmith who is searching for an apprentice. Greta questions the true meaning of crafting, and of caring for someone in grief. Meanwhile, Minette receives a package from the monastery where she once trained to be a prophetess. She’s now confused about her path in life but finds that the more she opens her heart to others, the more clearly she can see what was inside.
That’s it for the October 2020 Book Releases
Phew, that was quite the list with the fantasy & sci-fi Book Releases of October 2020. Which ones are you most looking forward to?
