Top new horror books in August 2025
Last updated:
August 31, 2025
August 2025 featuring new releases by R.F. Kuang, Sarah Pekkanen, Chuck Wendig, Joe R. Lansdale, T. Kingfisher, Susan Dennard, Darcy Coates, Leigh Stein, Nikki St. Crowe, Ania Ahlborn, C. Robert Cargill, David Lawson Jr. and many more.
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Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
Katabasis, noun, Ancient Greek. The story of a hero's descent to the underworld.Two academic rivals from Cambridge must travel to hell to rescue the soul of their advisor. Getting there was easy. Surviving it – and each other – is another thing entirely.2025’s most unexpected love story is going to be hell in the new novel by Sunday Times Number One Bestseller R.F. Kuang. Coming August 2025...romance · fantasy · fiction · historical-fiction · mystery · myths · magic · dark-academia · poc-mc · poc-author -
![The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen]()
The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen
Was it...Bitter, all-consuming jealousy?Pathological sibling rivalry?Pure insanity?Whatever the cause—and everyone has a theory—it's the Crime of the Decade when glamorous Georgia Cartwright, who was adopted as a newborn, is accused of killing the biological daughter of her wealthy, Southern family... -
![The End of the World As We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King's The Stand by Chuck Wendig, Joe R. Lansdale, Josh Malerman, Catherynne M. Valente]()
The End of the World As We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King's The Stand by Chuck Wendig, Joe R. Lansdale, Josh Malerman, Catherynne M. Valente
An original short story anthology based on master storyteller Stephen King’s #1 New York Times bestselling classic The Stand!Since its initial publication in 1978, The Stand has been considered Stephen King’s seminal masterpiece of apocalyptic fiction, with millions of copies sold and adapted twice for television...horror · fiction · anthologies · fantasy · dystopia · post-apocalyptic · apocalyptic · sci-fi · audiobook · mystery -
![Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher]()
Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher
From New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-winning author T. Kingfisher comes Hemlock & Silver, a dark reimagining of “Snow White” steeped in poison, intrigue, and treason of the most magical kind.Healer Anja knows little of politics but much of poisons... -
![The Executioners Three by Susan Dennard]()
The Executioners Three by Susan Dennard
From New York Times bestselling author Susan Dennard comes The Executioners Three, a mystery filled with rivalry, romance, best friends, and a gruesome curse that dates back centuries.Freddie Gellar didn't mean to get half the rival high school arrested. She’d simply heard shrieks coming from the woods, so she’d called the cops like any good human would do...fantasy · young-adult · mystery · horror · paranormal · fiction · historical · supernatural · witches-wizards · romance -
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![How Bad Things Can Get by Darcy Coates]()
How Bad Things Can Get by Darcy Coates
It was supposed to be the party of the century: miles of idyllic white sand beaches, lush jungle foliage...and a dark legend nobody dreamed might be all too true.When an online influencer and several hundred of his most loyal fans land on Prosperity Island, the plan is simple: five days of elaborate games, drinking, and suntanned fun.A week in paradise should have been a welcome respite...horror · mystery · season-summer · suspense · thriller · psychological · fiction · action-adventure · supernatural · book -
![If You're Seeing This, It's Meant for You by Leigh Stein]()
If You're Seeing This, It's Meant for You by Leigh Stein
Fates collide after a tarot influencer disappears from a decaying Hollywood mansion in this unnerving gothic mystery and audacious social comedy from the acclaimed author of Self Care...fiction · gothic · mystery · horror · contemporary · literary-fiction · audiobook · spooky · thriller · satire -
![Dark & Darker Still: A Vane and Roc Origin Story by Nikki St. Crowe]()
Dark & Darker Still: A Vane and Roc Origin Story by Nikki St. Crowe
Vane and the Crocodile AKA the Madd Brothers, have been stripped of their titles and their assets after their father’s failed coup of the Darkland Court. Immortal, powerful and monstrous, it doesn’t take them long to make their way back up the ladder, but this time it’s not in the manors and mansions of the Darkland elite, it’s the dark underbelly known as the Umbrage...romance · fantasy · retellings · dark · reverse-harem · lgbtq · found-family · fiction · fairy-tale · paranormal -
![The Unseen by Ania Ahlborn]()
The Unseen by Ania Ahlborn
A terrifying new novel from bestselling #HorrorBookTok sensation Ania Ahlborn—the acclaimed author of the modern classic Brother.Hailed as a writer of “some of the most promising horror I’ve encountered in years” (Seanan McGuire, author of the Ghost Roads series), Ania Ahlborn delivers a novel that pushes the boundaries of horror into a new realm...horror · creepy-children · fiction · mystery · action-adventure · dark · suspense · family · book · adult -
![Haunted Reels 2: More Stories from the Minds of Professional Filmmakers by C. Robert Cargill, David Lawson Jr., Mike Flanagan, David Bruckner]()
Haunted Reels 2: More Stories from the Minds of Professional Filmmakers by C. Robert Cargill, David Lawson Jr., Mike Flanagan, David Bruckner
The monster that is Haunted Reels has returned, and now no one is safe. Featuring twenty-four brand-new, never-before-published stories by a mix of Hollywood legends and rising film-industry stars, Haunted Reels 2 continues the menace its brooding predecessor started, only this time it has a grudge...horror · anthologies · fiction · audiobook · paranormal · mystery · ghosts · supernatural · suspense · adult -
![One Dark Night by Hannah Richell]()
One Dark Night by Hannah Richell
When a body is found the day after Halloween, a small British community must reckon with its past and the dangers lurking in its present in this spine-tingling novel from “not to be missed” (Hayley Scrivener, author of Dirt Creek) author Hannah Richell...mystery · crime · suspense · psychological · fiction · murder · audiobook · horror · law-enforcement · police-procedural -
![13 Months Haunted by Jimmy Juliano]()
13 Months Haunted by Jimmy Juliano
From Dead Eleven author Jimmy Juliano, a twisty, edge-of-your-seat novel about a unique haunting in the early 2000sPiper Lowery, a public library clerk in charge of liaising with the local middle school, can tell right away there’s something strange about the new girl in eighth grade...horror · fiction · paranormal · audiobook · mystery · spooky · thriller · historical · dark · ghosts -
![Zomromcom by Olivia Dade]()
Zomromcom by Olivia Dade
Teaming up with your neighbor during a zombie outbreak is a no-brainer, but if it turns out he’s a vampire . . . the stakes couldn’t be higher, in this infectious new paranormal romance from the USA Today bestselling author of Spoiler Alert...romance · fantasy · zombies · paranormal · vampires · fiction · horror · contemporary · urban-fantasy · womens-fiction -
![Salem's Fall by Rektok Ross]()
Salem's Fall by Rektok Ross
A hotshot young attorney. An enigmatic billionaire accused of murder. To uncover the truth, she’ll have to play his game—and try not to fall in love with the devil. James Woodsen is used to being underestimated. Top of her class at Harvard Law, she’s brilliant, beautiful, and now the youngest female associate at Boston’s most elite criminal defense firm...romance · horror · fiction · mystery · paranormal · season-autumn · audiobook · psychological · crime · witches-wizards -
![The Once and Future Me by Melissa Pace]()
The Once and Future Me by Melissa Pace
Dark Matter meets Girl, Interrupted in this spellbinding psychological thriller about a young woman teetering between two realities.Virginia November 12th, 1954: A young woman wakes, agitated and confused, on a patient transport bus arriving at Hanover State Psychiatric Hospital...north-america · usa · virginia · urban · sci-fi · fiction · horror · mystery · time-travel · historical-fiction -
![What Hunger by Catherine Dang]()
What Hunger by Catherine Dang
A haunting coming-of-age tale following the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants, Ronny Nyugen, as she grapples with the weight of generational trauma while navigating the violent power of teenage girlhood, for fans of Jennifer’s Body and Little Fires Everywhere.It's the summer before high school, and Ronny Nguyen finds herself too young for work, too old for cartoons...horror · fiction · contemporary · literary-fiction · mystery · season-summer · cannibalism · feminism · poc-mc · realistic -
![While the Dark Remains by Joanna Ruth Meyer]()
While the Dark Remains by Joanna Ruth Meyer
A young woman who escaped captivity in the court of a cruel king returns in disguise to bring him down for good, but her feelings for the king's son complicate matters...romance · fantasy · fiction · dark · dark-fantasy · young-adult · sci-fi · horror · myths · action-adventure -
![The Serpent's Bride by Kathryn Ann Kingsley]()
The Serpent's Bride by Kathryn Ann Kingsley
"I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH… I just couldn’t put it down… When I finished, I just screamed because that cliffhanger was perfection and so unexpected… I absolutely love this… I will be talking about it all the time… Fantastic." shelflife_bookreview, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I will disguise myself as the vampire’s bride. I will win over his family. And then I will murder every last one of them...romance · fantasy · vampires · audiobook · enemies-to-lovers · paranormal · fae · dark · fiction · organized-crime -
![The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk by Carissa Broadbent]()
The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk by Carissa Broadbent
New York Times bestselling author and BookTok sensation Carissa Broadbent returns with a brand new novel in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk. Mische made the ultimate sacrifice to save those she loves – and plunged the world into an eternal night. Now, imprisoned by the gods and obsessed with revenge, Asar is desperate to find her again...romance · fantasy · vampires · paranormal · high-fantasy · fiction · new-adult · horror · dark · book -
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![Ride or Die by Delilah S. Dawson]()
Ride or Die by Delilah S. Dawson
A sleepover at an amusement park turns into a night of terror in this scary middle school read from the New York Times bestselling author of Mine and Camp Scare.Tonight is Brie’s chance to finally be accepted by the Ems—the most popular girls at school...horror · middle-grade · audiobook · children-books · mystery · contemporary · ghosts · young-adult · children · friendship -
![Malicent by Cassandra M.D.]()
Malicent by Cassandra M.D.
I was raised in the dark, sharpened into a weapon, and sent into the mortal world to secure my coven’s future. The Southern Kingdom holds secrets, and I will uncover them. But it holds my past—Cage, the man who slaughtered my mother, now stands as the King’s most trusted mage.Stronger. Colder. Alive.She was supposed to be dead. A ghost from an old life...romance · fantasy · dark · horror · dark-fantasy · enemies-to-lovers · witches-wizards · fiction · gothic · paranormal -
![Starve by A.J. Merlin]()
Starve by A.J. Merlin
All it took was one time.One breakdown and I ended up behind the locked doors of Bluebone Ridge Sanitarium.Something is wrong here.It whispers through the cracked windows, coils beneath the floorboards, and breathes in the frozen Washington air that never truly warms, even in the summer.Something hungry.At night, the screaming starts. I’m locked in like prey, and the dark watches with hollow eyes...romance · horror · dark · monsters · paranormal · forced-proximity · supernatural · contemporary · suspense · stalking -
![Love & Other Killers by Brynne Weaver]()
Love & Other Killers by Brynne Weaver
Serial killers versus serial killer in a hot and twisted novella about family games, true love, and competitive carnage by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Ruinous Love Trilogy.It’s the annual hunt for Sloane and her vigilante family of serial killers. Track the most cold-blooded psychos imaginable and take them down...romance · audiobook · dark · contemporary · serial-killers · fiction · steamy · found-family · crime · mystery -
![The Red Knot by Monique Asher]()
The Red Knot by Monique Asher
Gripping, atmospheric, and off-putting, The Red Knot is the perfect blend of occult mystery and small-town horror.On a tiny, isolated island off the southern Alaskan coast, three girls have vanished without a trace, and Audra’s close friend—the island’s therapist—has been found murdered...horror · mystery · audiobook · cults · fundamentalism · fiction · spooky · thriller · psychological · paranormal -
![Book 4 by Melissa K. Roehrich]()
Book 4 by Melissa K. Roehrich
Final Book in the Legacy Series, coming August 2025... -
![The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis]()
The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis
The Crucible meets The Virgin Suicides in this haunting debut about five sisters in a small village in eighteenth century England whose neighbors are convinced they’re turning into dogs...horror · historical-fiction · fiction · historical · mystery · fantasy · literary-fiction · animals · spooky · gothic -
![A Bond so Fierce and Fragile by Sophia St. Germain]()
A Bond so Fierce and Fragile by Sophia St. Germain
Official blurb coming June... -
![Last Summer by LO Gold, Luna Wicked]()
Last Summer by LO Gold, Luna Wicked
Some secrets are better left buried…When a group of six strangers are invited into the woods for a content creator retreat where they’re guaranteed to make money, it seems like a perfect escape. However, as accidents turn into incidents and blood begins to spill, they start to suspect they were lured into the wilderness for a reason...steamy · horror · dark · season-summer · fantasy · contemporary · suspense · lgbtq · forced-proximity · stalking -
![The Dead Husband Cookbook by Danielle Valentine]()
The Dead Husband Cookbook by Danielle Valentine
She has the recipe for the perfect murder...Maria Capello is a celebrity chef like no other. A household name, an inspiration, an icon. Her dozens of cookbooks and weekly television show, broadcast from her beautiful Italian-style kitchen, not to mention her line of bestselling supermarket sauces. And of course there's her history... -
![The Devil's Bargain by Chani Lynn Feener]()
The Devil's Bargain by Chani Lynn Feener
*This is the third and final book in the A Devil to Die For trilogy. Blurb to come.These are DARK MMM Captive Horror Sci-Fi Romance that were too long to be released as novellas or a single full-length. Each book is around 52-60k and must be read in order...romance · dark · mlm · fantasy · polyamory · crime · sci-fi · aliens · action-adventure · sexual-assault -
![Cathedral of the Drowned by Nathan Ballingrud]()
Cathedral of the Drowned by Nathan Ballingrud
The sequel to Crypt of the Moon Spider, Cathedral of the Drowned is a dripping, squirming, scuttling tale of altered bodies and minds.There are two halves of Charlie Duchamp. One is a brain in a jar, stranded on Jupiter’s jungle moon, Io, who just wants to go home...horror · sci-fi · fiction · gothic · fantasy · historical-fiction · body-horror · spooky · noir · cosmic-horror -
![Open Wide by Jessica Gross]()
Open Wide by Jessica Gross
A provocative novel about intimacy, love, and consent, following an increasingly obsessive radio host who tests boundaries she didn’t know existed Olive is desperate to get close to Theo—really, really close. She’s always struggled to connect with people...contemporary · fiction · literary-fiction · satire · romantic-love · magical-realism · family · dark-humor · horror · humor -
![This Is My Body by Lindsay King-Miller]()
This Is My Body by Lindsay King-Miller
A gripping, emotional, and darkly funny queer horror novel about family trauma and possession, for fans of Rachel Harrison and Catriona Ward.Single gay mom Brigid always thought that cutting ties with her extremist Catholic family was the best thing she could have done for her daughter, Dylan—and for herself...horror · lgbtq · fiction · wlw · contemporary · mystery · gothic · lesbian-mc · audiobook · paranormal -
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![Bloody Black by Rhiannon Hargadon]()
Bloody Black by Rhiannon Hargadon
He stole her throne, she's come back to reclaim it.Bloody Black is grim dark fantasy retelling of BLACKBEARD is perfect for fans of BOOK OF AZRAEL, A COURT OF SILVER FLAMES, and GAME OF THRONES.---Anne was a reckless, arrogant royal who had never tasted defeat. After a brutal betrayal on her wedding night, Anne vanishes from the kingdom she was meant to rule...romance · fantasy · outlaws · retellings · found-family · dark · action-adventure · slow-burn · revenge · mental-illness -
![Above by Brea Lamb]()
Above by Brea Lamb
Everything that ever was and ever will be, came from the stars.On Dajahim, magic is awarded to those who earn it—who entertain and please the stars. Nova Tershetta was lucky enough to have her prayers answered, and she is now the first person in her known bloodline to possess magic. But all things come with a cost...romance · fantasy · enemies-to-lovers · dark · dark-fantasy · dark-academia · magic · love-triangle · political-intrigue · slow-burn -
![Cute but Deadly by Beatrix Hollow]()
Cute but Deadly by Beatrix Hollow
The asylum has fallen and the patients have been let loose... Nemo and Baz are the most innocent mass murderers the world has ever seen, so we're laying low after breaching containment. Great plan... except the big, bad group who made Verfallen Asylum? Yeah, they show up to kill us. They're cleaning house and left the worst for last... -
![This Vicious Hunger by Francesca May]()
This Vicious Hunger by Francesca May
From the author of Wild and Wicked Things comes a dark gothic fantasy about two young women struggling to find the freedom of choice in a world where their path feels predetermined. Turning to each other, they soon find themselves sinking deeper into a world of beauty, poison, and the insatiable quest for knowledge...fantasy · horror · wlw · gothic · lgbtq · fiction · dark-academia · lesbian-mc · historical · romantic-love -
![Tantrum by Rachel Eve Moulton]()
Tantrum by Rachel Eve Moulton
In this electric horror novel from the author of The Insatiable Volt Sisters, an exhausted mother thinks her newborn might be a monster. She’s right.Thea’s third pregnancy was her easiest. She wasn’t consumed with anxiety about the baby. She wasn’t convinced it was going to be born green, or have a third eye, or have tentacles sprouting from its torso. Thea was fine. Her baby would be fine... -
![Like An Animal by Zepphora]()
Like An Animal by Zepphora
The Shadow is back to claim his little ghost and revenge he has planned will haunt her dreams forever.I'm not innocent.I did it.I framed my step-brother. I'm the only reason he went to prison for five years, but what he doesn't know is that I had no other choice.There was a time that I loved him, but I had to lock that away to survive the fall out. That doesn't matter now though.He found me...dark · contemporary · abuse · organized-crime · steamy · stalking · serial-killers · second-chances · obsession · multi-pov -
![Hollow Wrath by Jodie King]()
Hollow Wrath by Jodie King
This is a pitch-black circus romance/horror erotica with a morally PITCH-black MMC.This is book two of The Hollow’s Trilogy where we follow the story to Hollow Wrath.Official blurb, cover and release date coming soon. This date is only a set date and not the official release. It will be pushed forward to early 2025...
