I rounded my spooky season with 8 mostly proper spooky season reads which was FUNNN. Read a few I really loved and I really just do love a good Halloween-y read.
Below is my breakdown as always, which includes my rating, what I liked, and where to read. It’s also possible I earn commissions if you make any purchases from links below, and I thank you earnestly for doing so. It allows me to keep putting together these recaps for you!
Let’s get into this October reading breakdown:
Shrike
📚 Book 1 in incomplete dark romantasy duology
☑️ On Kindle Unlimited
🔥 Low/med spice
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.75 – 4 (my full review)
My Thoughts: This is a unique take on dark academia and meddling gods based on Irish folklore and is really unlike anything I’ve really read before. It was dark and gothic and a great spooky season read.
I really liked the FMC A LOT and the lore was fascinating. I didn’t think this was exactly perfect, but I’m genuinely excited for book 2 when it comes out because wow oh wow how things ended.
Where to Read:
Immortal Dark
📚 Book 1 in incomplete dark romantic fantasy trilogy, 2 books out so far
🎧 Solo narrated audiobook but looks like book 2 has a full cast
🔥 V v low spice
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟 3.75 (my full review)
My Thoughts: This is one of my favorite takes on vampires I think I’ve read. They’re based in Ethiopian lore and I LOVE it. Then there’s like a sentient magical house and dark academia and the setting is so cool.
The only thing that kept this from 5 stars for me was it took me awhile to be into either of the leads. But I think futue books won’t have that issue!
Where to Read:
The Bog Wife
📚 Standalone low fantasy
🎧 Solo narrated audiobook
My Rating: ⭐️💫 1.5 (my full review)
My Thoughts: I’m so sorry but I hated this. Least favorite read of the year. I sent a 4 minute voice note rant to my friends when I was done with it complaining.
The premise was so cool and weird and so was the cover. This family sacrifices their patriarch to the bog, and the bog provides a wife to continue the family, but this year something goes wrong. It’s set in Appalachia and I was so excited for just weird lore and I was so disappointed. Nothing mattered. There was no reason for anything. When something cool did happen it was shoved under a rug and never mentioned again.
Where to Read (if you feel you must):
Vampires of El Norte
📚 Standalone low fantasy with vampires
🎧 Dual narrated audiobook
🔥 Closed door spice
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 (my full review)
My Thoughts: The allegory in this re: the vampires was awesome. The tension of the two love interests having known each other as kids was delicious; so much yearning.
And I LOVED the Mexican historical fiction setting. Big fan! The only thing that kept this from 5 stars was a bit of excess miscommunication trope for me. I was like, we can settle on this a little. But it was good and I enjoyed it overall.
Where to Read:
The Ascended
📚 Book 1 in incomplete Aesymarean Duet
🌌 Book 3 in the Sundered Realms Universe (read after Riftborne and Duskbound of the Esprithean trilogy)
☑️ On Kindle Unlimited
🔥 Lower spice
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 (my full review)
My Thoughts: This is how you do a book that’s a part of a larger fantasy universe! These were unique trials with characters I loved and easter eggs galore you only know if you read the Esprithean trilogy. So if you love big fantasy worlds, I really think you’ll love this.
Need to read Riftborne and Duskbound? I’ve got them listed here.
Where to Read:
A Vow of Shadow and Blood
📚 Book 1 in incomplete Blood Vows romantic fantasy series
☑️ On Kindle Unlimited
🔥 Lower spice
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 (my full review)
My Thoughts: I reallllly struggled with the FMC this book. Everything else is solid; vampire courts, an interesting Nightmare-from-One-Dark-Window-esque character, a fun side character, etc. but I just do not like when it feels like most of the conflict is caused by the FMC’s stubbornness and everyone seemingly bending to it in ways that seem extremely unbelievable. If this doesn’t bother you, you’ll LOVE this book. Eat it up!
Where to Read:
The Knowing Witch
📚 Incomplete dark romantic fantasy trilogy; 1 book out so far “The Knowing Witch” with the sequel “The Unknown Daemon” coming out in January 2026
☑️ On Kindle Unlimited
🔥 Lower spice
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟 4.75 (my full review)
My Thoughts: I LOVED this. I couldn’t put it down. I ADORE the trope of 2 teens meeting/falling for one another/whatever it is and then being separated, only to be brought back together and they’re on opposite sides of some conflict, big or small. And this DELIVERED on that.
Plus it was unique! Witches and demons, with cool magic and gods. I’m so pumped for where this is going to go.
Where to Read:
The Witch Who Trades With Death
📚 Romantic fntasy standalone
🎧 Solo narrated audiobook
🔥 V low spice
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.25 (my full review)
My Thoughts: This turned out to be so much sweeter than I anticipated. Because it starts out as “hey so she’s the forced, tortured, and assaulted witch concubine of an evil emperor” you’re like oh shit, brutal. But it turns out into the most lovely found family story and green flag MMC and I just loved it. It was so sweet in the end, and it made me happy amid the dark circumstances.
Where to Read:
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