Another Book in the Fall: 14 Fantastic New Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books of October 2025

Cinder House by Freya Marske (Tordotcom,‎ October 7)

The author of the Last Binding trilogy and Swordcrossed returns with this Cinderella retelling. It’s a queer Gothic romance about the ghost of a murdered girl trapped in her father’s house, who makes a bargain to be almost-alive and free for three nights. Spoiler: three nights won’t be enough.

Hole in the Sky by Daniel H. Wilson (Doubleday,‎ October 7)

A single father in the heart of Oklahoma’s Cherokee Nation discovers something strange is happening in the atmosphere. His findings are confirmed by a Texas astrophysicist—something big is barreling towards Earth. It seems to be a spacecraft. But is the world really ready for first contact?

Local Heavens by K. M. Fajardo (Bindery Books, October 14)

Buckle in for The Great Gatsby in New York in 2075! In this futuristic retelling, Nick Caraway befriends the ultra-wealthy Jay Gatsby, in a city where money can buy you tech-enhanced bodies and longer life spans. But will the allure of wealth keep Nick from carrying out his secret mission as a cyber hacker assigned to investigate Gatsby?

The Keeper of Magical Things by Julie Leong (Ace, October 14)

It’s a new charming fantasy from the author of The Teller of Small Fortunes! Certainty is a novice mage unable to perform much magic and, therefore, not much of a help. But when she’s paired up for a task with overachiever Aurelia, whose talents have alienated everyone, the two form an unlikely bond that may bloom into something more.

Red City by Marie Lu (Tor Books, October 14)

In Lu’s adult debut, criminal syndicates in Angel City control the alchemy of transformation. A form of sand sold to the rich to help them maintain more beauty and charm, the fight for control of transformation alchemy will become so dangerous that it threatens to destroy Angel City and the people in it.

When They Burned the Butterfly by Wen-yi Lee (Tor Books, October 21)

In this debut historical dark fantasy, a young loner searches for the killer who took the life of her mother, Madam Butterfly, the head of a gang. Her hunt will take her deep into the gang’s violent world and the city’s seedy underbelly, where the body count continues to grow.

Psychopomp & Circumstance by Eden Royce (Tordotcom, October 21)

This Southern Gothic historical fantasy novella is about family conflict and funerals. When her estranged aunt dies, Phee agrees to handle the funeral arrangements, much to her mother’s dismay. But upon arriving at her late aunt’s house, Phee will discover that it’s full of shadows and visions harboring dark secrets.

The Isle in the Silver Sea by Tasha Suri (Orbit, October 21)

Here’s a new sapphic fantasy from the award-winning author of the Burning Kingdoms series! A witch and a knight fated to fall in love and be torn apart over and over must find a way to halt the cycle of their story. Meanwhile, a mysterious assassin is on the prowl, looking to permanently destroy anyone with a story like theirs.

The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell (‎Del Rey,‎ October 28)

In a magical hotel in the Swiss Alps in 1935, Eva and Max are young people in love, healing from great traumas. And in London in 2015, a reclusive woman meets a charming old man, and upon shaking his hand, gets the feeling she has met him somewhere, sometime, before.

The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow (Tor Books, October 28)

For Alix E. Harrow’s fourth novel, she’s taking readers—and one of her characters—back in time to a secondary world. Charlie is a timid historian fascinated with the story of the legendary knight Sir Una. When he is sent back in time, he will work with Una to help her rewrite her story, one she has been retelling over and over.

Blood & Breath by Qurratulayn (Page Street YA, October 7)

Evan Wilde is a Magi, a fact that must stay hidden for fear of persecution. She works in the shadows, drawing up contracts for clients who need devils to carry out tasks. But then Evan is attacked and dying, so she makes a deal of her own with a devil: revenge, in return for the rest of her life.

Illusions of Fire by Nisha Sharma (Union Square & Co., October 7)

“If the apocalypse comes, beep me.” Laila Bansal works days on her aunts’ vineyard, but she also secretly trains early mornings with her aunts, who are actually immortal demons sworn to protect Laila’s mythological bloodline. And when the handsome new man in town tries to cut off her head—rude—Laila and her aunts know the apocalypse is coming.

The Library of Lost Girls by Kristen Pipps (Delacorte Press, October 28)

This is a gothic YA about a girl seeking answers to what happened to her sister. Upon returning from the Delphi School for Girls, Gwen’s older sister, Izzy, is a stranger. As in, a completely different person. So, Gwen enrolls in the finishing school to find out just what happened to Izzy and how to get her back. But as she is pulled into the school’s darkest secrets, can she hold on to herself?

Never Ever After by Sue Lynn Tan (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, October 28)

From the author of the Celestial Kingdom series comes a new YA fantasy! Yining is a young woman, an accomplished liar and thief, trying to make a better life for herself. But when her step-aunt steals a magic ring that Yining found, she will have to travel to the kingdom to get it back, where she becomes wrapped up in political scheming, with ruthless royals and dangerous secrets.

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