Anticipated November 2025 Releases

November is here, and with it are new books! Some of my absolute most anticipated books of the year are coming out this month--looking at you, The Strength of the Few and The Blackfire Blade!--and I cannot wait to read them and so many more of these! I have an ARC of The Blackfire Blade that I'm starting soon, and I just finished an early copy of Empire of the Dawn, so things are already looking great. What November releases are you most excited for? Let me know below!

The Strength of the Few (#2) by James Islington || November 11th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Blackfire Blade (#2) by James Logan || November 4th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Slow Gods by Claire North || November 18th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Beasts of the Sea by Iida Turpeinen || November 18th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Empire of the Dawn (Empire of the Vampire #3) by Jay Kristoff || November 4th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Aphrodite by Phoenicia Rogerson || November 11th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer || November 4th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Merge by Grace Walker || November 11th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Villa, Once Beloved by Victor Manibo || November 25th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Palaver by Bryan Washington || November 4th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Break Wide the Sea by Sara Holland || November 11th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Outlaw Planet by M.R. Carey || November 18th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Place Where They Buried Your Heart by Christina Henry || November 4th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Bookshop Below by Georgia Summers || November 18th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Bones of Our Stars, Blood of Our World by Cullen Bunn || November 11th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

A Dark Forgetting by Kristen Ciccarelli || November 4th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Breath of the Gods: The History and Future of the Wind by Simon Winchester || November 18th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The King Must Die by Kemi Ashing-Giwa || November 4th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Gemini: Stepping Stone to the Moon, the Untold Story by Jeffrey Kluger || November 11th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino || November 25th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Ship of Spells by H. Leighton Dickson || November 4th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Dawn of the Firebird by Sarah Mughal Rana || November 2nd -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

I, Medusa by Ayana Gray || November 18th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Coldwire by Chloe Gong || November 4th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Lucky Seed by Justinian Huang || November 11th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

What are your anticipated November releases?

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Place Where They Buried Your Heart by Christina Henry, Aphrodite by Phoenicia Rogerson, & Outlaw Planet by M.R. Carey

        

 Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! 

The Place Where They Buried Your Heart by Christina Henry
Publication: November 4th, 2025
Berkley
Hardcover. 320 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"A woman must confront the evil that has been terrorizing her street since she was a child in this gripping haunted house novel from the national bestselling author of The House That Horror Built and Good Girls Don’t Die.

On an otherwise ordinary street in Chicago, there is a house. An abandoned house where, once upon a time, terrible things happened. The children who live on this block are told by their parents to stay away from that house. But of course, children don’t listen. Children think it’s fun to be scared, to dare each other to go inside.

Jessie Campanelli did what many older sisters do and dared her little brother Paul. But unlike all the other kids who went inside that abandoned house, Paul didn’t return. His two friends, Jake and Richie, said that the house ate Paul. Of course adults didn’t believe that. Adults never believe what kids say. They thought someone kidnapped Paul, or otherwise hurt him. They thought Paul had disappeared in a way that was ordinary, explainable.

The disappearance of her little brother broke Jessie’s family apart in ways that would never be repaired. Jessie grew up, had a child of her own, kept living on the same street where the house that ate her brother sat, crouched and waiting. And darkness seemed to spread out from that house, a darkness that was alive—alive and hungry."

In all honestly, some aspects of this premise feel a bit... 'been there, done that,' but Christine Henry is a fantastic author and I feel like in her hands, this story will be anything but that and I can't wait to check it out!

Aphrodite by Phoenicia Rogerson
Publication: November 11th, 2025
Hanover Square Press
Hardcover. 480 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"From the award-winning author of Herc, an enrapturing feminist tale that brilliantly reimagines the story of Aphrodite and how she transformed herself from a lowly outsider to the darling goddess of love, for readers of Madeline Miller and Jennifer Saint.

Aphrodite saw the gods on Mount Olympus and decided she wanted a piece of what they had. Only problem is, she’s not a goddess, just a lowly being who's supposed to remain in a distant cave, keeping the threads of Fate woven neatly. But Aphrodite’s never let anyone tell her what to do…

Weaving herself a web of lies and careful deceptions, she convinces everyone she’s the goddess of love and that her rightful place is among the Olympians, who lord it over everyone else at the top of the world, but under the stifling rule of Zeus. For the first time, she has the best of everything, as well as friends, peers, even loved ones. Only, being a goddess isn’t quite like she thought. Those who oppose Zeus tend to disappear, or worse. And one day, Aphrodite decides she’s had enough…"

This is my obligatory 'here's another Greek myth retelling' head's up--and although part of me is tired of them, as usual, the Classics part of me can't get enough. 

Outlaw Planet by M.R. Carey
Publication: November 18th, 2025
Orbit
Paperback. 464 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"Sometimes the fate of entire worlds can be decided by a woman with nothing to lose, and the smartest gun in the multiverse in her hand . . .

This is the story of Bess - or Dog-Bitch Bess as she came to be known. It's the story of the gun she carried, whose name was Wakeful Slim. It's the story of the dead man who carried that gun before her and left a piece of himself inside it. And it's the tale of how she turned from teacher, to renegade, and ultimately to hero.

This is also the tale of the last violent engagements in an inter-dimensional war - one of the most brutal the multiverse had ever seen.

This is how Bess learned the truth about her world. Came to it the hard way, through pain and loss and the reckless spilling of blood, and carried it with her like a brand on her soul. And once she knew it - knew for sure how badly she'd been used - she had no option but to do something about it. From one of genre fiction's most original and revolutionary voices comes a space opera adventure like no other. Vengeance always comes with a price . . ."

M.R. Carey is a little bit of a wild card these days for me, but I'm definitely curious enough about this premise to want to check this one out.

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Villa, Once Beloved by Victor Manibo & The Breath of the Gods by Simon Winchester

       

 Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! 

The Villa, Once Beloved by Victor Manibo
Publication: November 25th, 2025
Erewhon Books
Hardcover. 352 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"Some legacies are best left buried…

Villa Sepulveda is a storied relic of the Philippines’ past: a Spanish colonial manor, its moldering stonework filled with centuries-old heirlooms, nestled in a remote coconut plantation. When their patriarch dies mysteriously, his far-flung family returns to their ancestral home. Filipino-American student Adrian Sepulveda invites his college girlfriend, Sophie, a transracial adoptee who knows little about her own Filipino heritage, to the funeral of a man who was entwined with the history of the country itself.

Sophie soon learns that there is more to the Sepulvedas than a grand tradition of political and entrepreneurial success. Adrian’s relatives clash viciously amid grief, confusion, and questions about the family curse that their matriarch refuses to answer. When a landslide traps them all in the villa, secrets begin to emerge, revealing sins both intimately personal and unthinkably public.

Sifting through fact, folklore, and fiction, Sophie finds herself at the center of a reckoning. Did a mythical demon really kill Adrian’s grandfather? How complicit are the Sepulvedas in the country’s oppressive history? As a series of ill omens befall the villa, Sophie must decide whom to trust—and whom to flee—before the family’s true legacy comes to take its revenge . . ."

I love this setting and this premise and I've been meaning to check out Victor Manibo's work, so this sounds like a great place to start!

The Breath of the Gods: The History and Future of the Wind by Simon Winchester
Publication: November 18th, 2025
Harper
Hardcover. 416 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"New York Times bestselling author Simon Winchester returns with a thought-provoking history of the wind, written in his edifying and entertaining style.

What is going on with our atmosphere? The headlines are filled with news of devastating hurricanes, murderous tornadoes, and cataclysmic fires affecting large swaths of America. Gale force advisories are issued on a regular basis by the National Weather Service.

In 2023, a report was released by atmospheric scientists at the University of Northern Illinois, warning that winds—the force at the center of all these dangerous natural events—are expected to steadily increase in the years ahead, strengthening in power, speed, and frequency.

While this prediction worried the insurance industry, governmental leaders, scientists, and conscientious citizens, one particular segment of society received it with unbridled enthusiasm. To the energy industry, rising wind strength and speeds as an unalloyed boon for humankind—a vital source of clean and “safe” power.

Between these two poles—wind as a malevolent force, and wind as savior of our planet—lies a world of fascination, history, literature, science, poetry, and engineering which Simon Winchester explores with the curiosity and vigor that are the hallmarks of his bestselling works. In The Breath of the Gods, he explains how wind plays a part in our everyday lives, from airplane or car travel to the “natural disasters” that are becoming more frequent and regular.

The Breath of the Gods is an urgently-needed portrait across time of that unseen force—unseen but not unfelt—that respects no national borders and no vessel or structure in its path. Wind, the movement of the air, is seen by so many as a heavenly creation and generally a thing of essential goodness. But when it flexes its invisible muscles, all should take care and be very afraid."

Simon Winchester has a way of taking some really mundane-sounding topics and making them ridiculously interesting and compelling, so I have no doubt he can make a book about the wind and its impacts a fascinating one. 

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher & Slow Gods by Claire North

      

 Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! 

Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher
Publication: November 11th, 2025
Titan Books (UK)/47North (US)
Hardcover. 208 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"In an isolated desert town, a young woman seeking a fresh start is confronted by ancient gods, malevolent supernatural forces, and eccentric neighbours. A witty horror-tinged fantasy, perfect for fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Chuck Tingle, and Rachel Harrison.

When Selena travels to the remote desert town of Quartz Creek in search of her estranged Aunt Amelia, she is desperate and short of options. Fleeing an unhappy marriage, she has exactly twenty-seven dollars to her name, and her only friend in the world is her dog, Copper.

On arrival, Selena learns Amelia is dead. But the inhabitants of Quartz Creek are only too happy to have a new resident. Out of money and ideas, Selena sees no harm staying in her aunt's lovely house for a few weeks, tending to her garden and enjoying the strange, desolate beauty of the desert. The people are odd, but friendly, and eager to help Selena settle into her new home.

But Quartz Creek's inhabitants share their town with others, old gods and spirits whose claim to the land long predates their human neighbours. Selena finds herself pursued by disturbing apparitions, visitations that come in the night and seem to want something from her.

Aunt Amelia owed a debt. Now her god has come to collect."

I'm always ready for more horror from T. Kingfisher. :) (Also, quite note: at the time I made this post, I somehow was not aware that I had mixed up the US/UK covers/dates/etc.--UK is out November 11th, but the US has a release date of December 1st! Apologies for the mix-up! My affiliate links will take you to US sites)

Slow Gods by Claire North
Publication: November 18th, 2025
Orbit
Paperback. 448 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"My name is Mawukana na-Vdnaze, and I am a very poor copy of myself.

Slow Gods is the galaxy-spanning tale ​of one man's impossible life charted against the fate of humanity amongst the stars—a powerfully imaginative space opera from multi-award-winning author Claire North.

In telling my story, there are certain things I should perhaps lie about. I should make myself a hero. Pretend I was not used by strangers and gods, did not leave people behind.

Here is one out there in deep space, in the pilot's chair, I died. And then, I was reborn. I became something not quite human, something that could speak to the infinite dark. And I vowed to become the scourge of the world that wronged me.

This is the story of the supernova event that burned planets and felled civilizations. This is also the story of the many lives I've lived since I died for the first time.

Are you listening?"

Claire North is a little hit or miss, but I'm always down to try her work.

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Strength of the Few by James Islington & Beasts of the Sea by Iida Turpeinen

    

 Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! 

The Strength of the Few (Hierarchy #2) by James Islington
Publication: November 11th, 2025
S&S/Saga Press
Hardcover. 736 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"This highly anticipated follow-up to The Will of the Many—one of 2023’s most lauded and bestselling fantasy novels—follows Vis as he grapples with a dangerous secret that could change the course of history across alternate dimensions.

OMNE TRIUM PERFECTUM.

The Hierarchy still call me Vis Telimus. Still hail me as Catenicus. They still, as one, believe they know who I am.

But with all that has happened—with what I fear is coming—I am not sure it matters anymore.

I am no longer one. I won the Iudicium, and lost everything—and now, impossibly, the ancient device beyond the Labyrinth has replicated me across three separate worlds. A different version of myself in each of Obiteum, Luceum, and Res. Three different bodies, three different lives. I have to hide; fight; play politics. I have to train; trust; lie. I have to kill; heal; prove myself again, and again, and again.

I am loved, and hated, and entirely alone.

Above all, though, I need to find answers before it’s too late. To understand the nature of what has happened to me, and why.

I need to find a way to stop the coming Cataclysm, because if all I have learned is true, I may be the only one who can."

This is probably my most highly anticipated release of 2025 and I am genuinely so excited to finally read this one! I can't recommend the first book, The Will of the Many, enough.

Beasts of the Sea by Iida Turpeinen
Publication: November 18h, 2025
Little, Brown and Company
Hardcover. 288 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"In the spirit of Richard Powers and Daniel Mason, a novel spanning three centuries and tied together by the tale of Steller’s sea cow—a long-extinct denizen of the northern oceans—at once intimate and sweeping about the tragic clash between man and nature.

In 1741, thirty-two-year-old naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller joins Captain Bering's Great Northern Expedition to scout out a sea route from Asia to America. Plagued with hardships, captain and crew never reach their goal, but they do make a unique discovery, a gentle giant that will be named for the young explorer who described Steller’s sea cow.

In 1859, the governor of the Russian territory of Alaska sends his men to seek the skeleton of the massive marine mammal rumored to have vanished a hundred years before, while his sister curates the settlement’s peculiar natural science collection. Two years later, a revered Helsinki professor hires a talented illustrator—a woman!—to make precise drawings of a set of bones sent from afar. The ill-fated beast will help introduce to a skeptical public the concept of human-caused extinction.

Finally, in 1952, the Museum of Zoology assigns its most talented restorer the task of refurbishing the antique skeleton, a testimony to the sea cow's fate that will fire the imaginations of future generations.

Beasts of the Sea is a breathtaking literary achievement and an adventure that crosses continents and centuries. Told through the stories of the men and women touched by the long-ago discovery of a curious and placid creature, it is a tale of grand human ambition, the quest for knowledge, and the urge to resurrect what humankind has, in its ignorance, destroyed."

I am absolutely loving the sound of everything about this! Although, I'm always a bit hesitant when I see something less than 300 pages but described as "spanning three centuries," but I have faith and can't wait to check this one out.