September's New Book Releases 2022 Are Spooky and Fulfilling

As many students return to school and the leaves begin to crisp, it's once again September. Fall is officially in full swing, so whether you're settling down with a pumpkin spice latte or a stack of textbooks, be sure to check out these new book releases for September 2022.

Please note, as always, that our list of new releases is by no means exhaustive!

A fictionalized portrait of 15-year-old duchess Lucrezia de Medici set in Florence, Italy, during the 1550s, The Marriage Portrait is a story of courtly intrigue and survival. When Lucrezia's older sister dies right before her wedding, she is requested instead. Quickly, Lucrezia suspects her new husband is not what he seems.

The Marriage Portrait releases on Sept. 6, 2022.

The first in a new duology by Aiden Thomas, The Sunbearer Trials follows 10 semidioses as they compete for survival. Every 10 years, the winner of the Trials spreads light to all the temples of Reino del Sol, but the loser is sacrificed to the Sun to refuel the Sun Stones and protect humanity for another decade. Seventeen-year-old Teo isn't worried about the Trials for himself, but rather, all of his friends (and ex-best-friends) who are selected for the competition.

The Sunbearer Trials releases on Sept. 6, 2022.

White-passing Maddy Washington has been the target of bullies in Springville since she began school, but when a viral video reveals the town's racist roots, student leaders plan an integrated prom as a show of change. However, when the white class president asks her Black quarterback boyfriend to take Maddy to the prom, she wonders if things are finally better. But some of her classmates aren't done yet, and Maddy has one final card to show.

The Weight of Blood will be released on Sept. 6, 2022.

A collection of terrifying and shadowy tales written by New York Times Bestselling authors such as Chloe Gong, Hannah Whitten, Allison Saft, and more, this folk horror anthology is not one to miss!

The Gathering Dark will be published on Sept. 6, 2022.

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow is a speculative novel set during the Syrian Revolution. The book follows Salama Kassab, a pharmacy student who volunteers at a hospital in Homs, looking for a way to flee the country before her sister-in-law gives birth. Salama's anxiety gives way to a physical manifestation she names Khawf, who works to keep her safe. But Salama's heart unravels at the seams as she's torn between loyalty to her country and determination to survive.

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow releases on Sept. 13, 2022.

Six months ago, Nona woke up in a stranger's body and now she's worried she'll have to give it back. The city is in pieces, zombies are returning, and the leaders of a rebel group known as the Blood of Eden believe Nona is a weapon that can save them all. And each night, Nona dreams of the same skull-painted face ... Nona the Ninth is the third installment in the Locked Tomb Quartet.

Nona the Ninth will be released on Sept. 13, 2022.

The Kosa empire threatens to be torn about by the proletarian revolution between magic-endowed elites and the superstitious lower class, but Toma is blissfully unaware, living with her adopted family of the undead. When Toma meets Vanya, a commoner branded as a witch, and the dethroned Tsar Mikhail, the trio must unite to recover Mikhail's magic and protect the realm from Koschei.

Bone Weaver will be released on Sept. 20, 2022.

The sequel to The Ex Hex, The Kiss Curse follows Gwyn Jones, who has been living happily in Graves Glen. However, when Llewellyn “Wells” Penhallow returns to town after years spent in Wales and opens a shop right across from Gwyn's small business, the duo ends up locked in a professional competition. When a new group of witches moves to town and Gwyn's power begins to fade, can they set their differences aside to save her magic?

The Kiss Curse releases on Sept. 20, 2022.

The year is 1937, and America is divided between those who have magic and those who do not. Queer root worker Laura wants to earn her mage's license and reject a future of magic and technology combined, so she hops a portal to New York and applies for a job with the Bureau of the Arcane’s Conservation Corps. At the Bureau, she is taken under the wing of mysterious mage Skylark, but the pair will have to band together for survival.

Rust in the Root releases on Sept. 20, 2022.

When 16-year-old Aja's sister Fiona goes missing, Aja notices strange occurrences surrounding her death. Then, Aja meets Padraic, a vampire who wants nothing more than for Aja to come with him. She decides to join him to find Fiona, on one condition: He must let her leave alive if she is not wooed after one week. Aja has already planned to kill him, so she thinks it's simple ... but might discover more than she bargained for.

Direwood releases on Sept. 20, 2022.

When a WWII widow inherits a decrepit English estate named Orchard House, she uncovers a diary written by a young girl named Maude Gower. Maude and her brother Frank flee London, orphaned, where they are taken in by Miss Greenaway, who lives in Orchard House. Soon, Maude finds herself amid a tragedy, the repercussions of which haunt the house to the present day.

The House in the Orchard will be published on Sept. 27, 2022.

Inspired by Shakespeare's As You Like It, Foul Lady Fortune follows Rosalind, who is a spy in 1931 Shanghai. When she begins investigating a series of murders as the Japanese invade, Rosalind is tasked with infiltrating the enemy. Enter: Orion, another spy. Together, the pair pose as a married couple to work for the greater good. But will they get along enough to achieve their goal?

Foul Lady Fortune releases on Sept. 27, 2022.

Marion Shaw has been raised in the slums, but she sees an ad in the paper looking for a blood maid and takes it as her ticket out of poverty. Upon accepting the job, she is whisked away to the notorious House of Hunger, where she is employed by Countess Lisavet. Lisavet has taken a frightening interest in Marion, who finds herself embroiled in a game of cat and mouse.

House of Hunger releases on Sept. 27, 2022.