Hello, friends! I’m back yet again with another monthly TBR despite saying for years I hate them. This is my third one ever. There are more books in this list than I think I’ll be able to get to, but I can dream!

For October I decided to join Spooktastic Reads, a Wyrd and Wonder mini event. This event occurs over the 13 days leading up to Halloween (October 19-31) to celebrate all things dark in the fantasy genre. No sign up is necessary. Just have fun! For more information about the event, visit Ariana’s break down on The Book Nook.

Thankfully I have no ARCs due in October. (Okay, technically I have one, but I already read it.) Although I have my third round BBNYA assignment (full-length books), I more or less have free range for this month. I’ve never actually themed my reading list before, but I’m going to try to stick to Halloween-y vibes.

As usual the book covers link to the official synopses. I may be able to squeeze one or two more in here, but I have a lot going on in October, so I’ll keep the list to these five.

Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff

I bought this last year as a new release and then just let it sit on my shelf (as one does). I used to be really into paranormal fantasy as a teen, but that since fell off my radar. I’m looking forward to reading this vampire epic.

Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone

I remember seeing this book everywhere on social media last year. Surprisingly my library never stocked it, so I bought a copy from Bookoutlet. I believe it’s a gothic fantasy story. Unfortunately I haven’t had much luck with stories labeled as “gothic,” so hopefully this one will break that pattern.

A Storm of Wrath and Ruin by Kristin Ward

This is the third book in the Daughter of Erabel series. I participated in book tours for the first two books and really enjoyed them. The author, who’s incredibly nice, ended up gifting me a copy. But because I was so swamped with ARCs for most of this year I haven’t had a chance to read it yet. Now that my ARC pile is mostly under control I feel like I have breathing space to read backlist books. This series incorporates elements of Irish mythology, which has quickly become a favorite element of mine in fantasy books.

Glow by Raven Kennedy

This is another book I keep having to hide from on social media. It’s the latest in the Plated Prisoner series and even though it hasn’t been out that long, spoilers be spoilers. (Can we all just agree to be nice and put spoiler labels up if the book is less than a year old? That would be nice.) This series is dark and there are a lot of content warnings, so do your due diligence before diving in.

A Duel With the Vampire Lord by Elise Kova

I enjoyed A DEAL WITH THE ELF KING and A DANCE WITH THE FAE PRINCE, the first two books in the Married to Magic series. So I’m looking forward to reading the next book. Although they all occur in the same world, they can be read as standalones. A person in my monthly book club said this was her favorite of the three books, so now I have slightly higher expectations.

Are any of these on your October TBR list?