October 2025 promises to be a thrilling month for bibliophiles. From long-awaited sequels to standalone debuts, publishers are unleashing an eclectic mix of fantasy, mystery, horror, literary fiction, and more. In this blog post, we spotlight 15 of the most anticipated Books of October 2025, briefly sketching their plots and what makes each a must-watch. Whether you’re into intricate worldbuilding or razor-sharp suspense, there’s something here to whet your shelf appetite.
15 Most Anticipated Books of October 2025
The Rose Field by Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman returns to his beloved multiverse in The Rose Field, the third volume of The Book of Dust. Wikipedia This installment is set roughly twenty years after La Belle Sauvage and about a decade after The Secret Commonwealth. Lyra, now estranged from many of her former allies, continues her quest—alone and desperate—to reunite with her dæmon and to understand the shifting forces of Dust.
In the unfolding narrative, Malcolm is also in motion, having traveled across worlds in search of Lyra. Their trajectories converge amid cosmic tensions, moral dilemmas, and revelations about the nature of consciousness and reality. Pullman’s trademark blend of philosophy, adventure, and heart promises to make The Rose Field a fitting capstone to Lyra’s saga.
King Sorrow by Joe Hill
After a nine-year hiatus from standalone fiction, Joe Hill makes a comeback with King Sorrow. Wikipedia The novel is slated for release on October 21, 2025. Wikipedia Hill has built a reputation for weaving horror, fantasy, and the uncanny, and this novel is expected to push those boundaries further.
While detailed plot descriptions are still limited, early announcements suggest that King Sorrow will be a sweeping, emotionally charged story that blends supernatural elements with human fragility. With Hill’s flair for nightmares and moral complexity, this may be one of October’s darker—but deeply compelling—entries.
Shadow Ticket by Thomas Pynchon
Thomas Pynchon returns after more than a decade with Shadow Ticket, his tenth novel. Wikipedia Set in 1932, the story begins in Milwaukee where private detective Hicks McTaggart is hired to find a missing dairy heiress named Daphne Airmont.
But the case rapidly spirals beyond domestic crime: McTaggart becomes entangled with Mafia politics, simmering Nazi sympathies among German-American communities, occult intrigue, and clandestine conspiracies. Wikipedia His search leads him across borders into Central Europe, where geopolitics and clandestine machinations meet, and the line between detective work and espionage blurs.
The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow
A name beloved in modern speculative fiction, Alix Harrow returns with The Everlasting, scheduled for October 28, 2025. Beyond the Bookends In this novel, we meet Una Everlasting, a knight who died for her country centuries ago, and Owen, a former soldier turned scholar in the present.
But the twist: Owen becomes obsessed with Una’s story—and then finds himself pulled back in time, crossing paths with her life in unanticipated ways. Their stories entwine across eras, testing notions of sacrifice, legacy, and whether love or duty can transcend time itself.
Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber
Fantasy fans get something to look forward to with Alchemy of Secrets, arriving October 7. Beyond the Bookends+1 The novel opens with Holland St. James enrolled in a clandestine “Folklore class” — one that shouldn’t exist in any syllabus. Beyond the Bookends She senses the stories discussed are real. When one such tale—of the ominous Watch Man—results in the death of a man she was dating, the danger becomes personal.
Holland learns she has only 36 hours to find the legendary Alchemical Heart to save herself. Meanwhile, the magical world of Los Angeles and its folklore start to bleed into reality, and she must decide whom she can trust while racing to unravel the mystery.
Mate by Ali Hazelwood
Fans of Hazelwood’s signature blend of romance and speculative elements are in for a treat. Mate (the second in the Bride series) also releases October 7. Beyond the Bookends In this installment, Serena—a human-were hybrid—is isolated and vulnerable, threatened by both Weres and Vampyres.
Enter Koen, the Alpha Were who senses a fated bond with Serena. Though Serena resists both his protection and their connection, events conspire to push them together anyway. Their romance is tested by supernatural politics, personal trauma, and the question: can love survive when danger is always just a heartbeat away?
The Intruder by Freida McFadden
Freida McFadden returns October 7, 2025, with The Intruder, a psychological thriller that promises tension, secrets, and a storm that’s more than just weather. Casey, a former Boston-area teacher, has relocated to a rickety cabin in the wilderness, isolated and vulnerable to nature’s whims. When a violent storm begins to batter her refuge, Casey’s fears escalate—not because of the wind and rain, but because of the girl she finds outside her kitchen window: young, bloodied, clutching a knife, mute about her past.
From that strange meeting, the plot unspools into alternating timelines. In one thread, Casey must contend with the immediate threat, with the lights flickering, phones down, and power out. As Casey tries to discern the girl’s motives, a discovery in the middle of the night shifts everything. In the other thread, we see “Before,” where a middle-schooler named Ella—neglected by her mother and befriended by an outcast Anton—navigates life in Medford, Massachusetts. The two storylines converge, and McFadden ratchets up the suspense with twists, unreliable perceptions, and a looming question: just how far will someone go to protect their secret—and will Casey survive when the truth comes knocking?
The Wrath of the Fallen (Gods & Monsters, #4) by Amber V. Nicole
Though details are yet to emerge, the fourth installment in the Gods & Monsters saga will likely raise the stakes even further for deities, monsters, and mortals alike. In prior books we’ve seen power shifts, divine intrigues, and moral lines blurring — Wrath of the Fallen will push the protagonists into harsher confrontation with their own sins and with cosmic consequences.
Expect revelations about the nature of divinity, betrayals among cosmic rivals, and perhaps the fall of someone once trusted. The plot will weave internal conflict and external carnage, forcing characters to choose which lines they will cross and which they refuse to abandon.
Remain by Nicholas Sparks
Nicholas Sparks, the name synonymous with emotional romance, often pairs heartbreak with hope, and Remain is almost certainly no exception. The plot is expected to follow two lovers forced apart by fate or circumstance — and their attempts to bridge the distance, whether by memory, sacrifice, or the haunting pull of what once was.
Sparks may introduce a twist: perhaps a terminal illness, a tragic accident, or a secret one of them harbors. The narrative will test whether love alone can remain, even when everything else is stripped away. As ever with Sparks, emotional catharsis looms as large as the romance itself.
Gone Before Goodbye by Harlan Coben
Coben is a master of the “what’s real and what’s lie” thriller, and Gone Before Goodbye is expected to revisit that electric tension. The story may begin with a sudden death or disappearance — someone close to the protagonist vanishes, leaving behind cryptic clues, secrets, and the weight of past regrets.
As the protagonist digs in, they’ll unravel a web of lies connecting friends, family, and enemies — perhaps discovering that the person they thought they knew was masking a different face entirely. Coben’s hallmark is to let the suspense build layer by layer until the reader realizes the real twist was in the shadows all along.
Bonds of Hercules (Villains of Lore, #2) by Jasmine Mas
In Bonds of Hercules, the second in the Villains of Lore series, expect mythic retellings with a darker, more intimate spin. The series likely reframes classical legends from the perspective of those on the fringes — not the shining heroes, but the flawed, the broken, the damaged.
Here, Hercules’ mythic labors may come filtered through personal demons, inner guilt, and redemptive arcs. The “bonds” in the title suggest that relationships — familial, romantic, or antagonistic — will be tested, and that Hercules may be bound not by his tasks, but by what he owes to others (and himself).
The Widow by John Grisham
John Grisham is unlikely to stray from his wheelhouse: graft, justice, and moral ambiguity. The Widow suggests a central female character whose spouse has died under suspicious circumstances, pulling her into legal battles, dangerous secrets, and questions of innocence.
As the widow probes deeper — perhaps aided by a determined lawyer or journalist — she will confront hidden alliances, power imbalances, and the fact that death may have been only the opening move. The twist: the man she grieved might not have been who she thought, and the law may be far more fragile than she ever imagined.
Good Spirits (Ghosted, #1) by B.K. Borison
A ghost story with heart and humor, Good Spirits is billed as Book 1 in a Ghosted series — and readers should expect a mix of playful spookiness and emotional resonance. The protagonist may be someone newly sensitive to spirits, or someone haunted by loss, now encountering ghostly presences who need resolution.
The “good spirits” of the title hints that not all ghosts are malevolent; some may be guides, guardians, or remnant echoes with messages. The narrative likely interlaces the supernatural and the human — grief, forgiveness, memory — as the living and the dead reach across the divide to mend old wounds.
Hazelthorn by C. G. Drews
C. G. Drews, known for heartfelt storytelling and strong emotional core, likely uses Hazelthorn to conjure a delicate, bittersweet tale. Perhaps the plot centers on a character named Hazelthorn (or bearing that lineage), whose life is shadowed by a family secret, a lost love, or a sacrifice demanded by fate.
We may follow Hazelthorn’s attempt to reclaim agency — perhaps through a journey, through art, or through reconciliation. The emotional tension will come not only from external conflict but from the inner battles of worth, forgiveness, and identity.
Dating After the End of the World by Jeneva Rose
This stand-alone novel by New York Times bestselling author Jeneva Rose is set to hit shelves on October 1, 2025. It combines apocalypse, survival, and romance in what seems like Rose flexing into speculative territory after her success in psychological suspense and thrillers.
Casey Pearson grew up with a father who is obsessed with doomsday prepping. At 18, she escaped that life—vowing never to return. But a mysterious viral outbreak changes everything: people are turning into zombie-like creatures, the world as they know it is ending, and Casey has nowhere left to run except back to the one place she said she’d never go.
