11 new YA book releases to kick off your spooky season right this October

Kingdom of Sea and Stone – Mara Rutherford

This sequel to Crown of Coral and Pearl, which follows the continued story of twins Zadie and Nor, daughters of a poor fishing village populated by peal divers. When Nor must take her sister’s place and marry the Crown Prince of the nearby kingdom Illaria, though she wants nothing more than to go back home, she uses her new position to investigate the wrongs being done to her people by the crown. (Particularly when she discovers her intended – the creepy Prince Ceren – is using the pearls her people risk their lives to send to him in a series of brutal experiments.

By the end of the first book, Nor has achieved her wish to return to her people – but it comes at a great cost, both to herself and to her kingdom. And it looks as though the consequences will keep piling up in this sequel, which sees war on the horizon and a threat to everything she holds dear.

The official synopsis has a bit more detail.

"Ever since Nor was forced to go to a nearby kingdom in her sister’s place, she’s wanted nothing more than to return to the place and people she loves. But when her wish comes true, she soon finds herself cast out from both worlds, with a war on the horizon. As an old enemy resurfaces more powerful than ever, Nor will have to keep the kingdom from falling apart with the help of Prince Talin and Nor’s twin sister, Zadie. There are forces within the world more mysterious than any of them ever guessed—and they’ll need to stay alive long enough to conquer them…"

Kingdom of Sea and Stone is available on October 6.