October has arrived, bringing longer days, warmer weather and a fresh collection of new books to add to your reading list. Whether you’re looking for something to take outside on a pleasant afternoon, pack for a spring weekend away, or enjoy during a quiet evening at home, this month’s new releases offer plenty of reasons to make more time for reading.
From gripping new fiction and compelling mysteries to thought-provoking stories and books from some of Australia’s most exciting authors, October’s shelves are packed with new titles worth discovering.
Table of Contents
Fiction
He Who Fights with Monsters 13
In He Who Fights with Monsters 13, Jasan Asano returns to Earth, but this time, he is far more powerful, and he isn’t facing its problems alone. With his friends and allies beside him, and cosmic power at his disposal, Jason could possibly reshape the world. The real question is whether he’ll have a reason to.
There’s plenty to deal with: magical factions are splintering, the world is still recovering from a devastating monster cataclysm, and another vampire war is looming. Meanwhile, Jason must move through a world where some people fear him, others revere him, and a growing number seem ready to worship him.
Alongside strained family relationships and the challenges of being a father, Jason faces dangerous experiments, an old vampire enemy and a hidden threat that will expose his vulnerabilities.
Shirtaloon (aka Travis Deverell) raises the stakes once again, leaving Jason facing a conflict that may prove impossible to overcome.
Release date: 6 October 2026
Lost World: Valley of Bones
Deep within the Amazon lies the Vale do Javari, a vast and unforgiving wilderness filled with ancient legends, hidden dangers and places few outsiders have ever seen. Many have ventured into its depths in search of fortune, but legend says none have returned.
When a mysterious dark stone appears, marked with a map pointing towards a lost city, it promises something far more valuable than gold: the secret to immortality. But the artefact has fallen into the hands of a powerful Brazilian crime family, whose patriarch knows exactly what it could mean.
The Brazilian government turns to the United States for help, bringing in the feared Reaper Special Forces team. Their mission is to stop the Molino family, but the deeper they travel into the wilderness, the more terrifying their situation becomes.
Lost World launches a new action-packed adventure series from Greig Beck, author of Primordia.
Release date: 9 October 2026
Kiss of the Black Flame
In Kiss of the Black Flame, Saige Grayson has always believed in the healing power of stories. As one of the capital’s most promising bookbinders, she pours herself into her craft while living with chronic pain and mounting debt. But when the man she owes decides her unusual abilities are worth more than money, Saige is traded to the Azkari, an immortal race the gods created for war.
Her best hope of escape comes from Archer, a dangerous fallen Azkari general imprisoned alongside her. He offers Saige her freedom in exchange for her help retrieving and restoring an ancient book infused with living magic; a book that may hold the power to defeat a great evil, but in the wrong hands could just as easily unleash one.
As Saige and Archer work together, buried memories begin to surface, and the magic within the book awakens something far darker than either expected. Bestselling author Helen Scheuerer delivers a new romatasy novel filled with dangerous bargains, ancient magic, and high-stakes adventure.
Release date: 13 October 2026
Outback Hearts
In Outback Hearts, Dr Ethan Reeves swaps the familiar corridors of a London hospital for the red dirt, endless skies and close-knit community of Garnet Creek. Having never ventured outside the UK, Ethan is thrown straight into life in the Australian outback, where the nearest hospital is hours away and being the local doctor means expecting the unexpected.
Paramedic Zoe Bennett knows Garnett Creek all too well. She grew up there and once promised herself she would never return permanently, but circumstances have brought her home. When a medical emergency at the local hotel and a child’s snake bite force Ethan and Zoe to work closely together, their polite acquaintance begins to develop into something deeper.
Set against the warmth of a small outback community, Annie Seaton’s Outback Hearts is a story of healing, belonging and finding love in unexpected places.
Release date: 31 October 2026
The Art Lovers
Set against the turmoil of wartime Malta, The Art Lovers begins when Valentina Camilleri, the young daughter of a local barkeeper, witnesses Flight Lieutenant Peter Fox, an art historian, fall from the sky in his Spitfire and into her life. As Peter recovers, the art historian becomes fascinated by Valletta’s magnificent cathedral and its treasured Caravaggio masterpiece. His passion for art opens Valentina’s eyes to possibilities beyond the future she has always believed awaits her.
Twelve years later, Peter returns to Malta as an art expert ahead of a visit by the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth. When he encounters Valentina again, he is shocked by how dramatically her life has changed.
Now a mother and facing a personal battle, Valentina needs to find the courage to fight for her son and a different future. Blending history, art, romance and the long-term consequences of war, Fiona McIntosh’s The Art Lovers is a story of love, sacrifice and the difficult choices that can shape a lifetime.
Release date: 27 October 2026
Non-Fiction
The Curious Case of the Stolen Mace
In 1891, one of the Victorian Parliament’s most important symbols disappeared. The ceremonial mace, a heavy, crown-topped object many believed was made of solid gold, was stolen and never recovered. Despite an investigation involving some of the colony’s best detectives, including famed Ned Kelly hunter Mick Ward, no one was ever charged.
In The Curious Case of the Stolen Mace, historian and award-winning author Sally Young revisits the mystery 135 years later. Drawing on letters, witness statements, police reports and other evidence, she examines a colourful cast of suspects, from politicians and parliamentary workers to a carpenter and political activist. Against the backdrop of Melbourne’s growing economic turmoil, Young pieces together the clues to uncover who stole the mace, how they did it, and how they got away with it.
Release date: 6 October 2026
Children’s books
Shipwreck Bay (Dolphin Twins, Book 3)
The adventures continue in Shipwreck Bay, the third book in the Dolphin Twins series. Finally free from the Dray, Noah and Skye race towards Shipwreck Bay, the last known location of their mum. There, they discover an apparently abandoned marine park, but something isn’t quite right. Sea creatures still circle the enclosures, the Braxans patrol, and danger waits both above and below the water.
Bestselling author Anh Do delivers another fast-paced adventure as the twins risk everything to break into the park, uncover its secrets and hopefully find the answers they’ve been searching for.
Release date: 1 October 2026
Find More Aussie Authors You’ll Love
If you’ve enjoyed exploring these new releases, there’s plenty more to discover. Our site is home to a growing collection of Australian authors across every genre. Take a look around, find your next read, and support our incredible writers.