Atmospheric Historical Fiction New Releases October 2024
Somehow it’s October already, and while I’m more than ready for all those cool, atmospheric fall vibes, I’m still not sure where the other two-thirds of the year went. Nonetheless, here we are, and a new month (and new season) means new releases! There are lots of new horror books—and I mean lots—not to mention dark fantasy short story collections. Then, there’s the world of historical fiction.
These historical fiction new releases are all coming out this October 2024, meaning they’ll soon be ready to buy, borrow, or request at your local library, if they’re not already. Lots of these books are perfect for October, too. We’ve got curses and monsters and vampires and witches, just to start things off. In addition to all that spooky, seasonally appropriate horror and gothic historical fiction, we’ve also got spies, daredevil school teachers, and ancient myths retold. That’s exactly the kind of variety I like to see!
So, as soon as you’ve caught up on the best books from September, get ready for all the great books coming out this October. Make sure you never miss a new release by subscribing to the New Books Newsletter or by signing up for Book Riot’s New Release Index, where you can search for new releases by date, genre, and even Rioter recommendations.
Season of the Swamp by Yuri Herrera
Release date: October 1, 2024
In 1853 New Orleans, a man who will one day go on to become the first and only Indigenous president of Mexico disembarks among a group of exiles. His name is Benito Juárez. Little is known about the fourteen months he spends in New Orleans at the end of the nineteenth century, but in Season of the Swamp, Yuri Hererra imagines a period that will shape the man and the future Juárez will soon see to come.
Queen of the Mist by Caroline Cauchi
Release date: October 1, 2024
More than a decade before any male daredevil would dare do the same, a widowed school teacher named Annie Edson Taylor went over Niagara Falls in a barrel. At sixty-three years old. That might seem like a wild choice, but for Annie, it was a way to face her grief, prove her worth, and raise funds for two struggling friends through a death-defying stunt. Using her scientific knowledge and extensive research on previous attempts, Annie designed a barrel she was sure would allow her to survive the fall. How did she succeed? You’ll simply have to read Queen of the Mist to find out.
Now Comes the Mist by Julie C. Dao
Release date: October 1, 2024
In this gothic retelling of Dracula perfect for October, Julie C. Dao reimagines Lucy Westenra as a woman who is every bit the match to Dracula’s menace. Lucy has always been plagued by death, so when a man comes to her in her dreams promising a way to cheat it, she readily agrees. But when she meets him again in daylight and sees him for the monster he truly is, Lucy realizes she may have to become the very thing she most fears in order to end the reign of this villain who torments her.
This Cursed House by Del Sandeen
Release date: October 8, 2024
Desperate to escape her life in Chicago and the spirits that have always plagued her, Jemma Barker accepts a job offer from a family in New Orleans. The white-passing family looks down on Jemma for her darker skin, but it’s the other secrets they’re hiding that could be the cause of all their ruin. The Duchon family is cursed, and they think Jemma is the only one who can save them. As Jemma searches for answers, she begins to realize that, like it or not, she’s bound to the Duchons. If she can’t save them, she may not be able to save herself.
Daughter of Ruins by Yvette Manessis Corporon
Release date: October 8, 2024
Daughter of Ruins is a sweeping tale of one woman’s quest to follow her passions and forge her own identity. When Demitra sees a chance to escape the future—and the man—her father has chosen for her, she runs away, staying with family on Corfu. There, she can finally live out her dreams of painting and fall in love with whomever she wants. But when a devastating betrayal forces her back to her father on the eve of an earthquake that rocks all of Greece, Demitra and her father will finally have to come to terms with each other—and the family secrets that have driven them apart.
The River Knows My Name by Mortada Gzar, translated by Luke Leafgren
Release date: October 8, 2024
In early twentieth-century Iraq, the teenage daughter of a missionary longs for adventure beyond the walls around her. Inspired by her father, who traveled from Seattle to Basra, Charlotte packs up copies of the Gospels and a statue of baby Jesus and sets off to find her own place in the world. Desperate to find his lost daughter, Charlotte’s father goes missing as well, so that by the time she returns, she has to set off once again to find out what happened to him.
The Stone Witch of Florence by Anna Rasche
Release date: October 8, 2024
Ginevra di Gasparo was banished from Florence years ago when her gift to heal the sick using gemstones had her condemned as a witch. Now, the plague is in Florence and the same men who condemned her now beg for her return. But the great men of Florence aren’t actually ready to accept her gifts. Instead, they want her help tracking down a jewel thief ransacking churches. If she succeeds, they’ll recognize her as a physician. But there’s a much larger conspiracy afoot, and while Ginevra may be a witch, in this game, she is little more than a pawn.
Strange Beasts by Susan J. Morris
Release date: October 15, 2024
The daughters of Jonathan Harker and Moriarty team up in this historical mystery about a world where monsters haunt the streets of Paris. Samantha Harker can channel the minds of monsters. But her gift could get her thrown in an asylum if ever anyone found out. Dr. Helena Moriarty is a detective almost as notorious as her father’s nemesis. After her previous partners were all murdered, though, few are willing to work with her. Now, in order to figure out who–or what—is on a killing spree in Paris, Samantha and Helena will have to figure out some way to work together. It could be the greatest partnership of their lives. Or, it could all end in tragedy.
The Children of Jocasta by Natalie Haynes
Release date: October 22, 2024
In this new edition of Natalie Haynes’s book, the infamous stories of Oedipus and Antigone get a fresh twist. The feelings and motivations of Jocasta and Ismene are little more than footnotes in the original plays of Sophocles, but in The Children of Jocasta, Haynes puts their stories at the forefront. What happened to these women before the ancient tales began to put them in the positions they were in? Finally, we get their version of events.
The Secret War of Julia Child by Diana R. Chambers
Release date: October 22, 2024
Famous celebrity chef Julia Child is known for her height, her larger than life personality, and her cooking. But before she was famous for Mastering the Art of French Cooking, she worked for America’s first espionage agency during WWII. This is the story of Julia McWilliams, a thirty-year-old woman with no idea of the lasting impact she would leave on the world.
Keep an eye out for other great new historical fiction with Goodread’s Most Anticipated Historical Fiction of Fall 2024 and The Best Historical Fiction of 2024 So Far.
