We’ll ignore the fact that half of them are Young Adult titles (are there really that many kids reading these books, and shouldn’t they be doing homework?) September is still fruitful pickings for urban fantasy fans, with forty-six new releases. Out this month: series additions from Seanan McGuire, Susan Sizemore, Clay and Susan Griffith, Marlene Perez, Jayne Castle, Jonathan Maberry and Kate Griffin, among others, plus digital shorts from Faith Hunter, Kim Harrison and Jocelynn Drake.

Fiction Affliction details releases in science fiction, fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and “genre-benders.” Keep track of them all here.

Note: All title summaries are taken and/or summarized from copy provided by the publisher.

WEEK ONE

An Apple for the Creature, by Charlaine Harris (editor), Toni L.P. Kelner (editor), Ilona Andrews, Thomas E. Sniegoski, Mike Carey, Jonathan Maberry, Nancy Holder (September 4, Ace)

Your worst school nightmares pale in comparison to these thirteen stories that take academic anxiety to whole new realms. In “Playing Possum,” Sookie Stackhouse brings enough birthday cupcakes for her nephew’s entire kindergarten class but finds she’s one short when a deranged gunman shows up. For those who like fangs with their forensics, “VSI,” in which an FBI agent is tested as never before in a school for Vampire Scene Investigation. And in “The Bad Hour,” Remy Chandler and his dog Marlowe find evil unleashed in an obedience school. You’ll need more than an apple to stave off the creatures in these and ten other stories. Remember your first lesson: resistance is fruitless!

Ashes of Honor (October Daye #6), by Seanan McGuire (September 4, DAW)

October “Toby” Daye averted a war, gave up a county, and suffered personal losses that have left her wishing for a good day’s sleep. She’s tried to focus on her responsibilities, training Quentin, upholding her position as Sylvester’s knight, and paying the bills, but her increasingly reckless behavior is beginning to worry even her staunchest supporters. Toby’s just been asked to find another missing child,Chelsea, the changeling daughter of her fellow knight, Etienne, who didn’t even know he was a father until the girl went missing. Now Toby must find Chelsea before time runs out, racing against an unknown deadline and through unknown worlds. But danger is also stirring in the Court of Cats, and Tybalt may need Toby’s help with the biggest challenge he’s ever faced.

Carnival of Souls, by Melissa Marr (September 4, HarperCollins)

In a city of daimons, rigid class lines separate the powerful from the power-hungry. Once in a generation in The City, the Carnival of Souls hosts a deadly competition that allows every daimon a chance to join the ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would both face bleak futures. All Mallory knows of The City is that her father, and every other witch there, fled it for a life in exile in the human world. Instead of a typical teenage life, Mallory scans quiet streets for threats, hides, and trains to be lethal. She knows it’s only a matter of time until a daimon finds them. While Mallory possesses little knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City knows of her. There are plans for Mallory. Soon she will be drawn into the decadence and danger of the Carnival of Souls. Young Adult.

Clean: A Mindspace Investigations Novel, by Alex Hughes (September 4, Roc Books)

I used to work for the Telepath’s Guild before they kicked me out for a drug habit that wasn’t entirely my fault. Now I work for the cops, helping Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino put killers behind bars. My ability to get inside the twisted minds of suspects makes me the best interrogator in the department. But the normals keep me on a short leash. When the Tech Wars ripped the world apart, the Guild stepped up to save it. But they had to get scary to do it, real scary. Now the cops don’t trust the telepaths, the Guild doesn’t trust me, a serial killer is stalking the city, and I’m aching for a fix. But I need to solve this case. Fast. I’ve just had a vision of the future: I’m the next to die.

Dead is a Killer Tune (Dead Is #7), by Marlene Perez (September 4, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

A diabolical pied piper comes to town in the seventh installment of this hot paranormal mystery series. High school freshman Jessica Walsh is a virago, a woman warrior who must protect her hometown from danger. And in the unusual little town of Nightshade, California, trouble is always lurking. At Nightshade’s Battle of the Bands, Jess’s boyfriend Dominic and his band Side Effects May Vary are up against Hamlin, a band so popular that their fans follow them everywhere. Soon, Nightshade’s musicians are doing risky, illegal and even fatal things, and claiming that strange music they heard right before falling asleep told them to do it. Could a diabolical pied piper be sabotaging the Battle of the Bands? It’s up to Jessica and her friends track down the tuneful tyrant.

Dead Mann Running (Hessius Mann #2), by Stefan Petrucha (September 4, Roc)

Just because a bullet has your name on it, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t duck. Either I’m stubborn or it’s rigor mortis, but being dead didn’t stop me from being a detective. But it’s tough out there for a zombie. These days the life-challenged have to register and take monthly tests to prove our emotional stability. See, if we get too low, we go feral. And I’ve been feeling down lately myself. So when a severed arm, yeah, just the arm, leaves a mysterious briefcase in my office, my assistant Misty thinks figuring out where it came from will keep me on track. But this job goes deeper and darker than I imagined. Turns out the people after the briefcase know more about my past life than I can remember, and even more about what I’ve become.

Envy (The Fury Trilogy #2), by Elizabeth Miles (September 4, Simon Pulse)

Emily Winters knows the Furies have roots in Ascension, Maine, but she’s about to discover that they’re deeper than she ever imagined. With the help of her new friend Drea, she vows to dig them out. But it’s hard to focus when she’s desperate to make up with JD, and to figure out why Crow, a mysterious Ascension High dropout, seems to be shadowing her. Meanwhile, new girl Skylar McVoy is determined to leave her own dark past behind. So she’s thrilled when popular Gabby takes her under her wing, and the stunning and sophisticated Meg offers to give her a major makeover. But everyone knows what happens to the vainest girl of all. It’s tempting to be naughty. But beware: the Furies are always watching, and their power grows stronger by the day. Young Adult.

Fathomless (Fairytale Retellings #3), by Jackson Pearce (September 4, Little, Brown Books)

Celia Reynolds is the youngest in a set of triplets. Anne can see the future, and Jane can see the present, but all Celia can see is the past. The past seems so insignificant, until Celia meets Lo. Lo doesn’t know who she is. Or who she was. Once a human, she is now almost entirely a creature of the sea, a nymph, an ocean girl, a mermaid, terms too pretty for the soulless monster she’s becoming. Lo clings to shreds of her former self even as she’s tempted to embrace her dark immortality. When a handsome boy named Jude falls off a pier and into the ocean, Celia and Lo work together to rescue him. The two form a friendship, but find themselves competing for Jude’s affection. There’s only one way for Lo to earn back her humanity. She must persuade a mortal to love her, and steal his soul. Young Adult.

Have Stakes Will Travel: Stories From the World of Jane Yellowrock, by Faith Hunter (September 4, Roc, e-book only)

Four stories from the world of Jane Yellowrock. In “WeSa,” the Beast who lives inside Jane watches as her hunting grounds become prey. In “Haints,” Jane and her friend Molly Trueblood investigate mysterious paranormal phenomena—and the evil they find brings a new meaning to the words “haunted house.” “Signatures of the Dead” tells the story of the vampire massacre that made Jane a household name. And in “Cajuns with Fangs,” Jane makes a new friend who turns out to have old enemies.

Immortal Lycanthropes, by Hal Johnson (September 4, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

“A shameful fact about humanity is that some people can be so ugly that no one will be friends with them. It is shameful that humans can be so cruel, and it is shameful that humans can be so ugly.” So begins the story of Myron Horowitz, a disfigured thirteen-year-old just trying to fit in at his Pennsylvania school. When a fight with a bully leaves him unconscious and naked in the wreckage of the cafeteria, Myron discovers that he is an immortal lycanthrope, a were-mammal who can transform from human to animal. He also discovers that there are others like him, and many of them want Myron dead. “People will turn into animals,” says the razor-witted narrator of this tour-de-force, “and here come ancient secrets and rivers of blood.” Young Adult.

In a Fix, by Linda Grimes (September 4, Tor)

Snagging a marriage proposal for her client should be a simple job for Ciel Halligan, aura adaptor extraordinaire. She’s able to take on her clients’ appearances and slip seamlessly into their lives, solving any sticky problems they don’t want to deal with. This assignment is enjoyable until Ciel’s island resort bungalow is blown to smithereens and her client’s about-to-be-fiancé is snatched by modern-day Vikings. Her best friend, Billy, and Mark, the CIA agent she’s been crushing on for years, both skilled adaptors, step in to help. Before long, Ciel is dedicating more energy to escaping their watchful eyes than she is to saving her client’s intended. Suddenly, facing down a horde of Vikings feels like the least of her problems.

Outpost (Razorland #2), by Ann Aguirre (September 4, Feiwel and Friends)

Deuce’s whole world has changed. Down below, she was considered an adult. Now, topside in a town called Salvation, she’s a brat in need of training in the eyes of the townsfolk. She doesn’t fit in with the other girls: Deuce only knows how to fight. To make matters worse, her Hunter partner, Fade, keeps Deuce at a distance. Her feelings for Fade haven’t changed, but he seems not to want her around . Confused and lonely, she starts looking for a way out. Deuce signs up to serve in the summer patrols, those who make sure the planters can work the fields without danger. It should be routine, but things have been changing on the surface, just as they did below ground. The Freaks have grown smarter. They’re watching. Waiting. Planning. The monsters don’t intend to let Salvation survive, and it may take a girl like Deuce to turn back the tide. Young Adult.

Pet Shop Boys: A Short Story, by Kim Harrison (September 4, HarperCollins, e-book only)

From bestselling author Kim Harrison comes this original short story (to be featured in her anthology Into the Woods, October 2012) where things are most definitely not as they seem. A pet shop employee’s innocent date with a customer quickly turns disturbing rather than delightful. She and her family hold a centuries-old secret, and they want him to stay with them forever.

The Asylum Interviews: Trixie (The Asylum Tales #0.5), by Jocelynn Drake (September 4, Harper Voyager, e-book only)

The second of two prequel stories to Jocelynn Drake’s Angel’s Ink. Gage’s ex-girlfriend is back in town and needs help escaping a master vampire. While not the easiest of tasks, he certainly didn’t count of getting help from a mysterious woman with a few secrets of her own.

The Dirty Streets of Heaven (Bobby Dollar #1), by Tad Williams (September 4, DAW)

Bobby Dollar is an angel, a real one. Bobby’s wrestling with a few deadly sins of his own, pride, anger, even lust. Bobby can’t entirely trust his heavenly superiors, and he’s not too sure about any of his fellow earthbound angels either, especially the new trainee angel that Heaven has dropped into their midst. And he sure as hell doesn’t trust the Countess of Cold Hands, a mysterious she-demon who seems to be the only one willing to tell him the truth. When the souls of the recently departed start disappearing things get bad very quickly for Bobby D. Caught between the angry forces of Hell, the dangerous strategies of his own side, and a monstrous undead avenger that wants to rip his head off and suck out his soul, Bobby’s going to need all the friends he can get.

The Kingmakers (Vampire Empire #3), by Clay Griffith, Susan Griffith (September 4, Pyr)

Empress Adele has launched a grand crusade against the vampire clans of the north. Prince Gareth, the vampire lord of Scotland, serves the Equatorian cause in his guise as the dashing Greyfriar. But the human armies are pinned down, battered by harsh weather and merciless attacks from vampire packs. To even the odds, Adele unleashes the power of her geomancy, a fearsome weapon capable of slaughtering vampires in vast numbers. The power she expends threatens her own life even as she questions the morality of such a weapon. Adele is threatened by betrayal and Gareth faces a terrible choice. Their only hope is a desperate strike against the lord of the vampire clans, Gareth’s brother, Cesare. It is a gamble that could win the war or signal the final days of the Greyfriar.

The Lost Night (Harmony #9), by Jayne Castle (September 4, Jove)

With the ability to detect the auras of dangerous psychic criminals, Rachel Bonner has found peace and quiet on Rainshadow Island with her dust bunny companion. Then Harry Sebastian, the descendant of a notorious pirate, arrives to investigate strange developments in the privately owned woods known as the Preserve. Rachel can sense the heart of darkness within him, and the stirrings of desire within her own soul.

This Case Is Gonna Kill Me, by Phillipa Bornikova (September 4, Tor)

Linnet Ellery is the offspring of an affluent Connecticut family. Fresh out of law school, she’s beginning her career in a powerful New York “white fang” law firm. She has high hopes of eventually making partner. In a workplace where some humans will eventually achieve immense power and centuries of extra lifespan, office politics can be vicious beyond belief. After some initial missteps, she finds herself sidelined and assigned to unpromising cases. Then, for no reason she can see, she becomes the target of repeated, apparently random violent attacks, escaping injury each time through increasingly improbable circumstances. There’s apparently more to Linnet Ellery than a little old-money human privilege. She’s going to shake up the system like you wouldn’t believe.

Ghosts: Recent Hauntings, by Neil Gaiman, Elizabeth Hand, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Joe R. Lansdale, Maureen McHugh, Tim Powers, John Shirley, Peter Straub (September 5, Prime Books)

The spirits of the dead have walked among our legends, myths, and stories since before recorded history. Ghostly visitations, hauntings, unquiet souls seeking the living, vengeful wraiths, the possibility of life beyond the grave that can somehow reach out and touch us are some of literature’s most enduring icons. Now, in the twenty-first century, we are no less fascinated with phantoms than our cave dwelling ancestors or our Victorian-age forebears. Thirty modern masters of fright and fantasy fill this anthology with shivers, chills, and spooky explorations of both sides of the veil. Be prepared to keep a light on all night.

WEEK TWO

Silver (Bandia #1), by Talia Vance (September 8, Flux)

In eighth grade, Brianna did something so dreadful she was suspended and homeschooled. No one could explain what happened that night, except Brianna’s Irish grandmother, who gave her a silver charm bracelet and told her to wear it until she turned seventeen. Ever since she slipped it on, Brianna has felt like she’s invisible. People stare right past her as if she doesn’t exist. And that includes Blake Williams, the one boy she can’t resist. But everything changes in one frozen, silver moment when Blake sees her, and recognizes what she’s been hiding. Brianna is descended from Danu, the legendary Bandia of Celtic myth. Yet before she can fully understand who or what she is, Brianna accidentally binds her soul to Blake, whose tribe has spent the last thousand years hunting Danu’s descendants to protect humanity. Young Adult.

The City’s Son (The Skyscraper Throne #1), by Tom Pollock (September 8, Flux)

Running from her traitorous best friend and her estranged father, graffiti artist Beth Bradley is looking for sanctuary. What she finds is Urchin, the ragged and cocky crown prince of London’s mystical underworld. Urchin opens Beth’s eyes to the city she’s never truly seen, where vast spiders crawl telephone wires seeking voices to steal, railwraiths escape their tethers, and statues conceal an ancient priesthood robed in bronze. But it all teeters on the brink of destruction. Amid rumors that Urchin’s goddess mother will soon return from her 15 year exile, Reach, a malign god of urban decay, wants the young prince dead. Helping Urchin raise an alleyway army to reclaim his skyscraper throne, Beth soon forgets her old life. But when her best friend is captured, Beth must choose between this wondrous existence and the life she left behind. Young Adult.

Fang Girl, by Helen Keeble (September 11, Harper Teen)

Things That Are Destroying Jane Greene’s Undead Social Life Before It Can Even Begin: 1) A twelve year old brother who’s convinced she’s a zombie. 2) Parents who are begging her to turn them into vampires. 3) The pet goldfish she accidentally turns instead. 4) Weird superpowers that let her rip the heads off of every other vampire she meets. (Sounds cool, but it doesn’t win you many friends.) 5) A psychotic vampire creator who’s using her to carry out a plan for world domination. And finally: 6) A seriously ripped vampire hunter who either wants to stake her or make out with her. Not sure which. Being an undead, eternally pasty fifteen-year-old isn’t quite the sexy, brooding, angst-fest Jane always imagined. Young Adult.

Flesh and Bone (Benny Imura #3), by Jonathan Maberry (September 11, Simon & Schuster)

Benny Imura and his friends plunge deep into the zombie infested wastelands of the great Rot & Ruin. Benny, Nix, Lilah and Chong journey through a fierce wilderness that was once America, searching for the jet they saw in the skies months ago. Finding it is their best hope for having a future and a life worth living. But the Ruin is far more dangerous than any of them can imagine. They are hunted by fierce animals. They must raid zombie-infested towns for food and medical supplies. What is happening to the zombies? Swarms of them are coming from the east, devouring everything in their paths. These zoms are different. Faster, smarter, infinitely more dangerous. Has the zombie plague mutated, or is there something more sinister behind this new invasion of the living dead?

Full Blooded (Jessica McClain #1), by Amanda Carlson (September 11, Orbit)

Born the only female in an all male race, Jessica McClain isn’t just different, she’s feared. After living under the radar for the last twenty-six years, Jessica is thrust unexpectedly into her first change, a full ten years late. She wakes up and finds she’s in the middle of a storm. Now that she’s become the only female full-blooded werewolf in town, the supernatural world is already clamoring to take a bite out of her and her new Pack must rise up and protect her.

Gravediggers: Mountain of Bones, by Christopher Krovatin (September 11, Katherine Tegen Books)

Ian was the one who chased the majestic buck into the forest. (His motto: Act first, think later.) Kendra didn’t want to become separated from the other sixth graders, but she followed Ian anyway, despite what her analytical mind told her. PJ followed him, too. Even though he was scared, he figured he might catch some amazing footage with his video camera. They all hoped to return to the hiking trail before anyone noticed they were gone. However, the mountain had other plans for them: dark, sinister plans that only nightmares are made of. Now they don’t know where they are. They don’t know how to get home. They don’t know what gruesome creatures lurk in the shadows, but when they find out, will they be able to defeat these monsters and escape the mountain together? Young Adult.

Hidden (Firelight #3), by Sophie Jordan (September 11, HarperCollins)

Jacinda was supposed to bond with Cassian, the “prince” of their pride. But she resisted long before she fell in love with Will, a human and, worse, a hunter. When she ran away with Will, it ended in disaster, with Cassian’s sister, Miram, captured. Jacinda knows she must rescue her to set things right. Yet to do so she will have to venture deep into the heart of enemy territory. The only way Jacinda can reach Miram is by posing as a prisoner herself, though once she assumes that disguise, things quickly spiral out of her control. As she learns more about her captors, she realizes that even if Will and Cassian can carry out their part of the plan, there’s no guarantee they’ll all make it out alive. But what Jacinda never could have foreseen is that escaping would be only the beginning. Young Adult.

The Brides of Rollrock Island, by Margo Lanagan (September 11, Random House)

On remote Rollrock Island, men go to sea to make their livings, and to catch their wives. The witch Misskaella knows the way of drawing a girl from the heart of a seal, of luring the beauty out of the beast. And for a price a man may buy himself a lovely sea wife. He may have and hold and keep her. And he will tell himself that he is her master. But from his first look into those wide, questioning, liquid eyes, he will be just as transformed as she. He will be equally ensnared. And the witch will have her true payment. Margo Lanagan weaves an extraordinary tale of desire, despair, and transformation. With devastatingly beautiful prose, she reveals characters capable of unspeakable cruelty, but also unspoken love. (U.S. release)

The Secret Circle: The Hunt (The Secret Circle #5), by L.J. Smith (September 11, Harper Teen)

For Cassie and her Circle of witches, it’s hard to imagine life in New Salem getting any worse. A band of powerful witch hunters is targeting the group, determined to destroy them one by one. And Cassie’s half sister, Scarlett, won’t rest until she has a spot in the Circle, even if she has to kill Cassie to get it. The Circle’s only hope against their enemies is Cassie’s father’s Book of Shadows, an ancient guide to the world of dark magic. Cassie soon discovers that opening the book has grave consequences. Cassie’s drawn in by the book’s sinister spell, and it starts controlling her emotions and impulses, and unraveling her relationship with Adam. Cassie fights against the darkness inside her as the threats against the Circle grow. But once evil is let in, she may never escape. Young Adult.

Vessel, by Sarah Beth Durst (September 11, Margaret K. McElderry)

In a desert world of sandstorms and sand-wolves, a teen girl must defy the gods to save her tribe. Liyana has trained her entire life to be the vessel of a goddess. The goddess will inhabit Liyana’s body and use magic to bring rain to the desert. But Liyana’s goddess never comes. Abandoned by her angry tribe, Liyana expects to die in the desert. Until a boy walks out of the dust in search of her. Korbyn is a god inside his vessel. He tells Liyana that five other gods are missing. The desert tribes cannot survive without the magic of their gods. Not everyone is willing to believe the trickster god’s tale. The closer she grows to Korbyn, the less Liyana wants to disappear to make way for her goddess. But she has no choice. She must die for her tribe to live. Unless a trickster god can help her to trick fate, or a human girl can muster some magic of her own. Young Adult.

WEEK THREE

Glass Heart (Cold Kiss #2), by Amy Garvey (September 18, Harper Teen)

Wren can do things that other people can only dream of. Make it snow on a clear, crisp day. Fly through an abandoned tunnel. Bring a paper bird to life. Wren knows her abilities are tinged with danger, knows how easy it is to lose control, but she can’t resist the intoxicating rush. Now that she has Gabriel by her side, someone who knows what she can do, what she has done, she finally feels free to be herself. But as Wren explores the possibilities of her simmering powers, Gabriel starts pushing her away. Telling her to be careful. Telling her to stop. The more he cautions her, the more determined Wren becomes to prove that she can handle things on her own. And by the time she realizes that Gabriel may be right, it could be too late to bring him back to her side. Young Adult.

Stray Souls (Matthew Swift #5), by Kate Griffin (September 18, Orbit)

Sharon Li has just discovered she’s a shaman. And just in time: London’s soul has gone missing. If anyone can solve the mystery and rescue the dying city, she can, but she’ll need help-from the support group she’s just set up for people with magical issues. Among them are a vampire who is O, a druid who suffers from allergies and a lack of confidence, and a banshee looking for an evening class in impressionist art. Now, this motley crew must find a way to save the world.

The Curse (Belador #3), by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Dianna Love (September 18, Pocket Books)

With the freedom of an entire race hanging in the balance, Evalle has two days to make good on a promise that she suddenly has no hope of fulfilling when demonic Svart Trolls invade Atlanta. She takes a leap of faith, seeking help from the one man who recently put Evalle in his cross hairs, Black Ops specialist Isak Nyght. While trying to stop the bloody troll-led gang wars, Evalle unwittingly exposes a secret that endangers all she holds dear, and complicates her already tumultuous love life with the mysterious Skinwalker, Storm. But when Evalle discovers she’s the number one target in the Medb coven’s ruthless plan to destroy all Beladors, the deadly Alterant is forced to make a game-changing decision with no time left on the clock.

WEEK FOUR

Alchemystic (The Spellmason Chronicles #1), by Anton Strout (Sept. 25, Ace)

Alexandra Belarus is a struggling artist living in New York City, even though her family is rich in real estate, including a towering Gothic Gramercy Park building built by her great-great-grandfather. But the truth of her bloodline is revealed when she is attacked on the street and saved by an inhumanly powerful winged figure. A figure who knows the Belarus name… Lexi’s great-great-grandfather was a Spellmason—an artisan who could work magic on stone. But in his day, dark forces conspired against him and his, so he left a spell of protection on his family. Now that Lexi is in danger, the spell has awoken her ancestor’s most trusted and fearsome creation: a gargoyle named Stanis. Lexi and Stanis are equally surprised to find themselves bound to each other. But as they learn to work together, they realize that only united can they save the city they both love…

Dark Light of Day: A Noon Onyx Novel, by Jill Archer (September 25, Ace)

Armageddon is over. The demons won. And yet somehow…the world has continued. Survivors worship patron demons under a draconian system of tributes and rules. These laws keep the demons from warring among themselves, the world from slipping back into chaos.Noon Onyx grew up on the banks of the river Lethe, daughter of a prominent politician, and a descendant of Lucifer’s warlords. Noon has a secret—she was born with waning magic, the dark, destructive, fiery power that is used to control demons and maintain the delicate peace among them. But a woman with waning magic is unheard of and some will consider her an abomination. Noon is summoned to attend St. Lucifer’s, a school of demon law. She must decide whether to declare her powers there…or attempt to continue hiding them, knowing the price for doing so may be death. And once she meets the forbiddingly powerful Ari Carmine—who suspects Noon is harboring magic as deadly as his own—Noon realizes there may be more at stake than just her life.

Dearly, Beloved (Gone With the Respiration #2), by Lia Habel (September 25, Del Rey)

New Victorian society is fiercely divided ever since the mysterious plague known as “The Laz” hit the city of New London and turned thousands into walking corpses. But while some of these zombies are mindless monsters, others can still control their ravenous new appetites. Nora Dearly and the young zombie soldier Bram Griswold, fell hopelessly in love. Now, as tensions grow between pro- and anti-zombie factions, battle lines are being drawn in the streets. Bram and his ex-commando zombie comrades are determined to help keep the peace. Nora’s scientist father and his team continue their desperate race to unlock the secrets of “The Laz” and find a cure. But their efforts may be doomed and the nation of New Victoria braces for a new wave of the apocalypse.

Earth to Hell (Journey to Wudang #1), by Kylie Chan (September 25, Harper Voyager)

It is eight years since Xuan Wu, God of the Northern Heavens, living in Hong Kong as wealthy businessman John Chen, was exiled from the mortal realm. Emma and John’s daughter, Simone, are facing a new series of threats. Leo, their best fighter, is sitting in Hell, but when they journey below to persuade him home, nothing is as it appears. On Earth, Simon Wong, the Demon King’s son, is no longer around to trouble them, but his associates have taken over Simon’s underworld activities. The otherworldly stones are being targeted and are in danger of their kind being completely destroyed. It seems that the Demon King is the only one Emma can turn to for help.

Personal Demon (Laws of the Blood #6), by Susan Sizemore (September 25, Ace)

Vampire Enforcer Christopher Bell is in Chicago to investigate rumors of a revolution, but when he comes across vampire hunter Ivy Bailey being followed through dark streets, what he finds is a ghost from his past. Over a century ago, Christopher fought the vicious London serial killer Jack the Ripper, and won. But now, the Ripper’s tainted soul is back, on the hunt once more.

Rapture (The Fallen Angels #4), by J.R. Ward (September 25, NAL)

After reporter Mels Carmichael hits a disheveled man with her car outside the local cemetery, she pays a visit to the stranger in the hospital. The only thing he remembers of his past is seeing a name written on a headstone, that of Jim Heron, a fallen angel charged with rescuing souls from the seven deadly sins. Now, as Mels struggles to help this mysterious stranger rediscover himself, Heron himself returns to prepare for a battle between good and evil.

Scorch (Croak #2), by Gian Damico (September 25, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Sixteen year old Lex Bartleby is a teenage grim reaper with the bizarre ability to damn souls. That makes her pretty scary, even to fellow Grims. But after inadvertently transferring her ability to Zara, a murderous outlaw, Lex is a pariah in Croak, the little town she calls home. To escape the townspeople’s wrath, she and her friends embark on a wild road trip to DeMyse. Though this sparkling desert oasis is full of luxuries and amusements, it feels like a prison to Lex. Her best chance at escape would be to stop Zara once and for all, but how can she do that from DeMyse, where the Grims seem mysteriously oblivious to Zara’s killing spree? Young Adult.

Seduction’s Shift (The Shadow Shifters #2), by A.C. Arthur (September 25, St. Martin’s)

She was his first love, his only love. But trying to rescue his beautiful Ary from captivity is one wild risk no man should take. Luckily, Nick Delgado is no ordinary man. His work in the urban jungle as a high-powered litigator has only fueled his ferocity, enflamed his passion, and sharpened his claws, to protect his mate. Ary is a born healer who has devoted her life to the tribe, and her heart to Nick. But when the fierce and sadistic Sabar turns his jaguar eyes upon her, Ary becomes the unwilling pawn in a deadly game of shifting alliances. One man wants to use her talents to enslave humanity. The other wants to free her from their natural enemy. If Nick hopes to save Ary, he must unleash the beast within, and fight for the woman he loves.

Shadows (Ashes Trilogy #2), by Ilsa J. Bick (September 25, EgmontUSA)

Even before the EMPs brought down the world, Alex was on the run from the demons of her past and the monster living in her head. After the world was gone, she thought Rule was a sanctuary for her and those she’d come to love. But she was wrong. Now she’s in the fight of her life against the adults who would use her, the survivors who don’t trust her, and the Changed who would eat her alive. Young Adult.

Something Witchy This Way Comes (Jolie Wilkins #5), by H.P. Mallory (September 25, Bantam)

For smart and sexy witch Jolie Wilkins, being Queen of the Underworld is a royal pain. Back from a round of time travel, Jolie must now protect her realm from the sinister Lurkers, a powerful breed of half-humans bent on conquering the undead. And if there’s one thing she knows, it’s that the supernatural never go down without a fight. At least Jolie has her soul mate (and finally official boyfriend), warlock Rand Balfour, by her side. Honorable, brave, and unbelievably handsome, Rand is everything Jolie wants in a man. So why can’t she forget the dangerously alluring vampire, Sinjin Sinclair? With her private life heating up and a battle boiling over, Jolie sets out to prove that in matters of love and war, the fairer hex has its own set of charms.

The Infects, by Sean Beaudoin (September 25, Candlewick)

Seventeen-year-old Nero is stuck in the wilderness with a bunch of other juvenile delinquents on an “Inward Trek.” As if that weren’t bad enough, his counselors have turned into flesh-eating maniacs overnight and are now chowing down on his fellow miscreants. As in any classic monster flick worth its salted popcorn, plentiful carnage sends survivors rabbiting into the woods while the mindless horde of “infects” shambles, moans, and drools behind. They generate “Zombie Rules” almost as quickly as cheeky remarks, but attitude alone can’t keep the biters back. Serving up a cast of irreverent, slightly twisted characters, an unexpected villain, and an ending you won’t see coming, here is a tale that that’s a delight to read , whether you’re a rabid zombie fan or freshly bitten, and an incisive commentary on the evil that lurks within each of us. Young Adult.

The Undead in My Bed (Midnight Liaisons #1.5), by Katie MacAlister, Jessica Sims, Molly Harper (September 25, Pocket Books)

In Shades of Gray, a TV crew is filming a paranormal reality show on the grounds of an imposing old Czech Republic estate. When Noelle, a Guardian, meets vampire Grayson, she awakens a hunger in him that only her touch can relieve. In Undead Sublet, after overworked Chicago chef Tess flips out, she rents a quiet house in Half-Moon Hollow. But when she finds the place occupied by a gorgeous vampire, Tess’s tastes become nearly insatiable. In Out with a Fang, when lonely were-jaguar Ruby consults a paranormal matchmaker, she hopes to finally move on from a heart wrenching breakup with her one true love. Nervously agreeing to a blindfolded first date with a vampire, she finds the spicy scent of him intoxicating, his voice low, sexy, and so very familiar.

The Wrong Goodbye (The Collector #2), by Chris F. Holm (September 25, Angry Robot)

Meet Sam Thornton, Collector of Souls. Because of his efforts to avert the Apocalypse, Sam Thornton has been given a second chance, provided he can stick to the straight and narrow. Which sounds all well and good, but when the soul Sam’s sent to collect goes missing, Sam finds himself off the straight-and-narrow pretty quick.

Thirst: The Vampire Legacy Series, by Karen E. Taylor (September 25, Kensington)

Vivienne Courbet may have lost her innocence over three centuries ago, yet in the eyes of those who sustain her with their blood, she is a young, desirable beauty. But the eternal life Viv has reveled in is now facing a dire threat, one that has separated her from her blood sister, Deirdre, and may mean the end of their kind. A dangerous cross breed known as the Others has declared war on the vampire fellowship. The fatalities have begun. Having fled to a small New England town, Deirdre Griffin and her lover, Mitch, have found a temporary respite. But when the Others close in, they won’t go down without a fight, the bloodier the better. And when the battle calls for Viv and Deirdre to join forces, they will have to summon every morsel of thirst to live another lifetime.

Redemption (Hearts of Stone #1), by Veronique Launier (September 28, Flux)

Guillaume: For five hundred years I’ve existed as a gargoyle. Perched atop an old Montreal church, I’ve watched idly as humanity wanders by. With the witch Marguerite gone, there is no one left to protect, nothing to care about. I never planned to feel again. But then a girl released me from my stone restraints, allowing me to return as a seventeen year old human boy. I must find out all I can about this girl’s power. Aude: Getting attacked twice in as many days is strange in itself, but even stranger is the intriguing guy I keep running into. There’s something so familiar about him, like a primal drum rhythm from my dreams. But spending time together only raises more questions—about my heritage, a native Mohawk prophecy, and an unearthly magic threatening our city. Young Adult.

Author Suzanne Johnson is a book geek with a fondness for a good dystopia. Royal Street, the first in her Sentinels of New Orleans series, is set in New Orleans during and after Hurricane Katrina. Find Suzanne on Twitter.