The Mortons by Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld

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Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia (Trade Paperback – 21 July 2026)

Series: Standalone

Length: 454 pages

My Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

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Get ready for one of the more unique crime fiction reads of 2026, as the superstar writing team of Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld present The Mortons, a complex and addictive read about a very messed up family.

Plot Synopsis:

A darkly funny, action-packed gothic thriller following a modern-day, old-money crime family with murderous intent. It’s The Secret History meets The Sopranos, with a dash of Saltburn!

Meet the Mortons: In this family, murder is currency – and business is booming.

The Mortons are a modern-day, old-money dynasty with impeccable taste, from their exquisitely crafted cocktails to their expertly tailored vintage garments. They are also stone-cold killers.

They, along with the other crime families, send their progeny to Helshire College, where legacy students learn to exercise control over their wealthy peers. Jessica Morton has always excelled at Helshire, secure in her knowledge that she is the prodigy of her generation. Now, having committed her first kill, it should be Jessica’s moment, her honour.

But that kill will cut more ways than one – and it will set in motion a series of consequences from which there is no turning back.

Sharp and hypnotic, The Mortons is an epic novel of alliances and power, loyalty and kinship, and the consequences of ruthless ambition.

The Mortons was an exceptional and highly addictive crime fiction thriller that provides a dark look at humanity through the eyes of a born and raised killer.  The first adult fiction collaboration between Australian young adult fiction author Justine Larbalestier and her husband Scott Westerfeld, also an established young adult author, The Mortons was a brilliantly twisted and complex read that I honestly couldn’t put down as I moved between shocking moments.

The plot of The Mortons is centred around protagonist and sole point-of-view character Jessica Morton, a murderous prodigy hiding in plain sight at the elite Helshire College.  A member of the Morton family, an extended clan of killers who manipulate, threaten and assassinate others for power and influence, Jessica is the rising star of the family, determined to do the rest of the Mortons proud.  However, after she is ordered to perform her first kill and murder an underperforming cousin, Jessica’s carefully planned life begins to change as she balances new feelings with her family duty and expectations.

The authors do an excellent job setting up much of The Mortons’ key story elements in the first half of the book, and I really appreciated the effective introduction to the protagonist, the titular Morton family, and the wider hidden world of family-controlled violence and manipulation.  There is some good early character work, especially as the protagonists deals with her apparent guilt, while also finding out some secrets around her family and Helshire.  Things become even more complicated when Jessica is sent on an important mission for the family.  This part of the book provides some of the more intriguing looks at Jessica’s personality, and the authors play up new uncertainty about her role and her family.  It also leads up to one of the book’s main, shocking moments halfway through, which changes the protagonist’s entire trajectory.

After this big moment, the second half of The Mortons is just one intense and highly addictive thrill ride, which I honestly got through in one extended sitting.  Faced with several traumatic events, Jessica’s storyline goes in a very interesting direction as she struggles with who she truly is.  I really enjoyed the additional emotional uncertainty of the plot in this part of the book, while additional revealed motivations from several supporting characters add to the general chaos of the plot, until a big moment changes everything once again.  I was very impressed with Larbalestier and Westerfeld for the big twist towards the end of the book, as it changed everything you thought you knew about the plot and altered everyone’s motivations.  The authors follow this twist up with some very dark moments guaranteed to leave you shocked, before leading up to the complex and thought-provoking conclusion.  The ending itself is a little low-key, but there is an intense beauty to it which fits The Mortons’ various character arcs extremely well.  It also leaves the story open to allow potential sequels from the authors, although The Mortons works quite well as a standalone story and adding more might remove the overall impact of this excellent book.

Larbalestier and Westerfeld crafted together a slick and emotionally charged novel here with The Mortons.  Blending a deeply personal character driven story from a damaged protagonist into a larger tale of family expectations and criminality resulted in a great read, and I loved the intense amount of drama and intrigue that the authors loaded into this book.  The underlying setting of the hidden crime families secretly influencing the world and training together alongside normal wealthy students a Helshire was very clever, and I loved the extended look at the sinister Mortons.  The authors do a wonderful job of initially showing the Mortons as a cool, if dangerous, family to be a part of, although the full depth of their evil becomes more apparent as the book continues.  This slow reveal of the titular family ties in nicely with the overarching themes of self-determination, nature vs nurture, and generational trauma, all placed in the context of a cultish criminal dynasty.  I did think at times that The Mortons had a young adult feel to it, especially the sequences examining first love and Helshire.  While this is to be expected considering the authors’ young adult fiction background, it might not appeal to some more mainstream thriller fans.  Still, I really enjoyed the easy style of The Mortons, and its complex characters and clever twists makes it a fantastic read for all crime fiction readers.

A key highlight of The Mortons is the distinctive characters contained within, especially the various murderous members of the Morton family proper.  The compelling collection of family-orientated killers and the people they associate with, was an impressive part of the book, and the authors do an amazing job of showing how dangerous and manipulative they can be, while also examining other parts of their personality.  As the book’s primary protagonist, much of The Mortons’ focus is on Jessica Morton, who goes through a particularly intense journey in this novel.  Initially shown to be a diligent Morton, Jessica finds herself drawn between family loyalty and other connections after her first kill.  The authors do an amazing job of initially introducing Jessica and her cold personality, before bombarding her with new experiences and thoughts.  This includes her first flourishes of romantic love, as well as other personal connections, all of which play against her family’s beliefs.  Jessica’s internal struggle is a big part of the book’s plot, especially once you understand how it’s being manipulated by others, and I really appreciated how effectively the authors dove into this protagonist.

Other key characters I have to highlight include Jessica’s roommate, Faraday, a party girl who finds herself drawn towards the mystique of the Mortons without fully understanding the dangers, and Jessica’s adopted cousin, Sebastian, who provides an interesting human perspective on the dark family.  These characters, and more, are all extremely well written, and their take on love, death, and the trauma of being or knowing the Mortons becomes integral to the plot in some many excellent ways.  I was so damn impressed with all these complex character moments, all of whom add to the powerful emotional depth of The Mortons.

Thanks to its captivating story, intense characters, and killer charm, The Mortons stands tall as one of the more intriguing and distinctive crime fiction reads of 2026.  Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld prove to be an incredible writing team, and there is so much depth and complexity in this brilliant joint adult thriller debut.  The Mortons comes highly recommended as a result, and readers are guaranteed to have an incredible time with this book, although you likely won’t be prepared for all its devilish twists.

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He Who Fights With Monsters: Outworlder by Travis Deverell (Shirtaloon)

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Publisher: Michael Joseph (Trade Paperback – 7 July 2026, originally published 23 February 2021)

Series: He Who Fights With Monsters – Volume One

Length: 755 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Looking for something to scratch your LitRPG itch?  Then dive into the acclaimed world of He Who Fights With Monsters, the first entry in an impressive series from Australian author Travis Deverell.

Fantasy fiction has a lot of interesting subgenres to it, with one of the more distinctive being the popular LitRPG genre, which throws ordinary humans into RPG settings.  This often results in some awesome narratives, where self-aware characters attempt to survive in fantasy worlds where the game system and its components are part of the setting.  While I so far haven’t read a ton of LitRPG books, it is a subgenre that I’m getting a lot more into recently, especially as there are a ton of awesome and often bonkers LitRPG books out there.  It’s thanks to this interest in the wider LitRPG genre that I made sure to pick up a copy of the first volume of Travis Deverell’s He Who Fights With Monsters, a long-running series that is considered a major recent addition to LitRPG fiction.

Travis Deverell is an Australian author who rose to prominence through writing on the Royal Road web novel site.  Also known as Shirtaloon, Deverell’s work on Royal Road formed into the He Who Fights With Monsters series, which has previously been released through independent publishing.  I was lucky enough to receive a review copy of the new trade paperback first volume of He Who Fights With Monsters released by Penguin Random House Australia (through their Michael Joseph imprint), I was quite intrigued by its fun sounding plot.  As such, I eagerly dived into this first book (titled in this release as Outworlder), and swiftly got drawn into this cool new series.

Plot Synopsis:

It’s not an easy career jump, going from retail assistant manager to interdimensional adventurer. Jason doesn’t have much of a choice, though, when he wakes up naked confused in a world of mystery and magic.

It wasn’t prophecy that brought him here. He wasn’t chosen. It was the wrong place, the wrong time and the very, very wrong guy. The wizard who summoned him by accident does not react well.

In short order, Jason will have to fight monsters, face cultists, escape cannibals and find some pants, preferably not in that order.

The good news? He has powers. The bad news? They’re kind of evil.

With no idea where he is or what he’s doing, he’s going to need friends, and fast, because in this world, power isn’t just about magic and monsters.

Jason will have to deal with politicians, noble houses and crime lords to survive. He’ll need to master his powers, evil or not, hopefully without becoming the worst monster of all.

Now that was a particularly epic and ultra-fun read.  I must admit that I didn’t quite know what to expect from He Who Fights With Monsters, but I honestly loved every second I spent with it.  There was something about this great first volume that quickly drew me in, and I soon got stuck powering through the novel’s wildly entertaining and compelling story.  A remarkably addictive read that serves as an outstanding introduction to the He Who Fights With Monsters series, I am so very glad I got a copy of this book.

The plot behind this first volume of He Who Fights With Monsters was extremely fun and awesome, and I was really impressed with how effectively Deverell dragged me into the action.  Starting off with a classic LitRPG set-up, with protagonist Jason Asano awaking in a strange fantasy land with no idea how he got there.  Equipped with a gaming interface and character abilities, Jason is soon forced to fight off monsters and cannibalistic cultists in a series of escalating misadventures while trying to figure out what is going on.  I quite liked this start to the story, although I felt it didn’t get going until Jason met up with several fellow adventures who, after some mutual saving and unlikely victories, agree to help Jason and teach him about this new world.

From this initial starting point, Deverell soon creates a rich and complex larger narrative and surrounding setting, and the reader gets an excellent crash-course in the magical system, how the world is set up, an explanation for how Jason is there.  With no other option, Jason accompanies his new friends on a journey to a nearby major city, and starts the process to become an adventurer, which includes taking on quests, fighting monsters and finding his own unique magical style.  The author keeps building in more world-building elements in this first half of the book, and you start to get a better idea of Jason’s personality, as well as hints about future threats.  The plot gets particularly interesting once Jason arrives at this volume’s central location of Greenstone, a major city where Jason endeavours to become a professional adventurer and soon gets in embroiled with a whole new range of supporting characters.

While I did quite enjoy the first half of He Who Fights With Monsters, I think the second half was stronger as Deverell didn’t need to explain the key concepts of his world as much and instead was able to unleash Jason and his full personality onto the unsuspecting city.  Jason soon finds himself experiencing multiple challenges and threats as he joins the Adventurer’s Society and becomes a player in local politics.  At the same time, Deverell sets up several intriguing secondary storylines around the other supporting characters, which blend well with the main adventure.  There is some excellent progression in the protagonist’s abilities and insights in this second half of the book, and I found it quite amusing to try and deal with the various threats and influences of the city.  Several of the ongoing storylines set in Greenstone come together in impressive fashion towards the end of the novel, especially as there is an extended series of fights with a dangerous new threat.  The author throws in some last-minute tragedy, as well as some moments that hammer home the underlying issues of corruption and stupidity that Jason was fighting through most of the book.  I felt that this volume ended on an interesting and compelling note, and there are several open storylines left to explore in the next volume of the story.

I rather enjoyed the writing in He Who Fights With Monsters, although it was admittedly rough in places.  It was a little obvious that Deverell was writing for an online audience, which resulted in some interesting style choices, most of which you get used to as the book continues.  For example, I initially questioned the author’s choice of writing this story in the third person, as I felt that a first-person perspective would have been a better choice.  However, the author made this third-person perspective work, as it allowed him to set up several storylines outside of the Jason’s perspective, while also showcasing the supporting character’s view the protagonist.  This book also had a great flow to it, with lots of action, compelling worldbuilding, and some very entertaining sequences.

All this resulted in an excellent blend of excitement, intrigue and humour, which was honestly addictive enough to keep me coming back and power through the over 700 pages within this volume.  This very compelling writing allowed me to overlook a lot of the book’s initial roughness, although I cannot forgive the weird error that resulted in various sentences of the book having noticeably different spacing.  I’m not sure if this was an issue with the Penguin release of He Who Fights With Monsters, or it’s just been carried over from the online edition, but it kept taking me out of the story, especially as the first few times I thought it was a deliberate choice to attempt to show a character talking quickly.  Whatever it was, I hope it’s not in future volumes, as it looks quite amateurish next to the rest of the fantastic formatting and artwork.

On top of the exciting story, I felt that a major highlight of He Who Fights With Monsters was the compelling worldbuilding.  The author clearly put a lot of thought into this compelling new fantasy world, which serves as a mirror to ours, filled with monsters, adventurers and magic.  Many of these elements were quite clever in concept and utilisation, as Deverell did an outstanding job introducing all these ideas to the reader.  He Who Fights With Monsters’ magical system, which involves adventurers absorbing various essences and slowly unlocking abilities associated with them, was particularly clever and helped to standout.  This cool system allowed for the author to introduce to some interesting power combinations, especially for the protagonist, and you quickly get the hang of its peculiarities and enjoy all the possibilities around it.

I also was very impressed with how the author worked the LitRPG aspect of the book into the narrative, introducing a credible reason why the protagonist had a game interface into his head, and ensuring that his ability to accept quests, loot corpses and more, seemed quite natural in the context of the story.  This great use of the LitRPG concept, as well as making the setting a real world with real people rather than a video game, ensured that there were some real stakes to the story, and helped to turn it into a particularly captivating adventure.

Another very interesting part of the He Who Fights With Monsters are the characters, especially the protagonist Jason Asano, who I had heard in advance was a bit of a divisive figure for readers.  I initially didn’t see any issues with Jason, who at first seemed to be a typical fish-out-of-water fantasy protagonist whose lack of knowledge about what is going on allowed readers to learn about the world and magic system at the same pace.  Even after the initial parts of the book, Jason seemed liked an entertaining main character, with a quirky sense of humour and insights into the fantasy world born from gamer experience.

However, once you get to the part of the story set in Greenstone, I began to understand why some readers didn’t like him, as Deverell starts to showcase his ability to read people and manipulate them.  Despite being framed as a good guy, there is a certain arrogance behind how he interacts with a lot of characters, including being quite dismissive of well-established aspects of the new world he finds himself in.  Jason also came across as kind of conceited when it came to dealing with the inherent inequalities of the fantasy world.  While in a lot of cases this was justified, especially when dealing with incompetent or corrupt adventurers and nobles, it honestly came across as a little preachy at times.  Still, this slightly annoying character trait wasn’t enough to reduce my enjoyment of He Who Fights With Monsters, and I quite enjoyed seeing Jason develop as an adventurer.  While there is a certain amount of plot armour in how quickly he advances, I felt that Deverell hit the right mark in Jason’s development in this first book and ensured that it filled the bounds of a typical progressive fantasy book.  I especially liked the character build that Deverall gifted Jason, turning him into a shadowy affliction specialist with various evil-themed powers.  Watching Jason attempt to balance his pleasant nature with the scary abilities he needs to work with was a key part of the character’s arc in this first volume, and I think it was a compelling and memorable bit of character development.  I’m very curious to see Jason evolves as the series continues, and must highlight how fun it is to have an Australian character in a big fantasy series.

I do quickly want to mention the larger cast of this first He Who Fights With Monsters book, as Deverell introduces a large group of supporting characters throughout the novel.  While most of these characters are very overshadowed by Jason and his antics, there are still some entertaining or complex figures here, whose own personal storylines work into the large plot of the novel.  I quite enjoyed seeing some of their relevant storylines, and it also ensured the reader got several outsider perspectives of Jason and his actions, which helped to highlight just how weird the protagonist seems to the inhabitants of this new fantasy world.  Many of these characters were quite likeable, and I rather got attached to Jason’s initial party in this world, Rufus, Farrah and Gary (the three of whom get a short story at the end of this volume).  While there is no major named antagonist in this first book, Deverell introduces some fun secondary villains who serve as a good initial opponent for Jason alongside the multitude of monsters he faces, especially as he is forced to deal with politics, intrigue and criminal networks.  All these characters, and more, added a lot to the larger story, and the resulting interactions produced some great moments.

With a highly entertaining blend of action, complex world building and a certain chaotic energy, the first volume of Travis Deverell’s He Who Fights With Monsters proved to be an exceptional hit that I couldn’t stop thinking about.  Featuring an outstanding LitRPG adventure set around a compelling protagonist, He Who Fights With Monsters was really something special, and I really couldn’t stop reading it at times.  I’m definitely planning to keep reading this series now that I’ve powered through the first volume, and I cannot wait to see what crazy antics and moments happen in the rest of the series.

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Waiting on Wednesday – Termina Station by Nick Martell

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday1 Comment

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For my latest Waiting on Wednesday post, I look at a unique and compelling new fantasy novel coming out in 2027 with Termina Station by Nick Martell.

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There have been some very talented fantasy authors who have gotten their start in the 2020s, but one of these authors who really stood out to me was the incredible Nick Martell.  Debuting in 2020, Martell impressed me right off the bat with The Kingdom of Liars.  The first book in his Legacy of the Mercenary King trilogy, The Kingdom of Liars was an exceptional fantasy novel that saw a damaged protagonist attempt to restore his disgraced family and uncover a conspiracy impacting his city.  I had such a great time with The Kingdom of Liars and it ended up being one of my favourite books, audiobooks and debuts of 2020.  Martell continued this excellent writing throughout the entirety of the Legacy of the Mercenary King series, with the following books, The Two-Faced Queen and The Voyage of the Forgotten, each being incredible reads. Indeed, The Two-Faced Queen was one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021, while The Voyage of the Forgotten was one of my favourite books of 2022.

After such a great opening trilogy, I made sure to keep an eye out for more books from Martell, and I was especially keen for some sort of sequel series that would follow some of the open storylines from the first series.  However, after a few years without any news from Martell and I was beginning to worry we might not see any more from him.  That changed earlier this week when by chance I found out that Martell had a new book coming out in 2027, Termina Station.

Termina Station, which is currently set for release in February 2027, is an intriguing new novel from Martell, which takes a protagonist on a unique sounding journey through life and death.  This new book has very compelling plot idea behind it, which should prove interesting to explore as it is a very different sort of fantasy adventure from Martell.

Plot Synopsis:

Joe Hill’sNOS4A2 meets Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes in this captivating novel about a father trapped in Knowhere, a deadly border town between life and death, run by the sinister Mister Teeth.

When Roger falls asleep on the train after a long day at work, he’s shocked to learn he isn’t stuck at the end of the line. Instead, he emerges from the last stop to step out into the rainy gloom…in a place he’s never heard of: Knowhere, where monsters roam at night and the only way home is to travel through each of the five ringdoms to the very center. It is only there, at Termina Station, that he can take a train out of Knowhere and return to his wife and children.

But each ringdom has its own twisted logic, and the ticketmaster, Mister Teeth, isn’t keen on letting Roger out of Knowhere. With Mister Teeth’s son in tow, Roger hopes he has what it takes to puzzle his way out of each ringdom and face his demons in the process. But Mister Teeth is a powerful enemy, and he’ll do anything to stop his son from boarding the train at Termina Station.

Termina Station looks set to be a very curious and compelling new book, which is looks set to be very different from Martell’s previous epic-fantasy trilogy.  A standalone fantasy story about exploring a dark realm of death and mystery likely inspired by the protagonists’ own demons has a Stephen King-vibe to it (or Joe Hill as the above synopsis suggests), and I’ll be interested to see how Martell brings this about in Termina Station.  This will likely be a very personal, character-driven story, with the protagonist forced to overcome aspects of their past, and I’m curious to see how that ties into the more fantastic or horror-inspired aspects of the setting.  I’m also intrigued by the book’s villain, Mister Teeth, who has the potential to be a chilling and haunting figure, and I cannot wait to see them hunting the protagonist.  All this promises to be quite a cool story, and I know that Martell has the writing chops to really pull it together into something special.

If I’m being honest, the moment that I saw Nick Martell had a new book coming out, I knew I had to read it.  However, the above intriguing plot idea has also gotten me quite excited, and I am now very keen to read Termina Station.  Sure to be one of the more unique novels of early 2027, Termina Station is now very high on my to-read list for the new year, and I cannot wait to dive into it.

WWW Wednesday – 19 August 2026

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WWW Wednesday is a weekly post hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

So, let’s get to it.

What are you currently reading:

Choppy Water by Jack Heath (Trade Paperback)

I was in the mood for a fun thriller this week, so I jumped into an early copy of Jack Heath’s Choppy Water.  A compelling thriller that sees a fugitive cop attempt to investigate a murder aboard a quarantined cruise ship, Choppy Water is a very distinctive and exciting novel with an interesting take on the locked-room mystery. I’m currently about a third of the way through Choppy Water and I’m hoping to finish it off over the weekend.

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Warhammer 40,000: The Wicked and the Warped by Robert Rath (Audiobook)

I’ve also just started to read the incredible new Warhammer 40,000 novel, The Wicked and the Warped by Robert Rath.  The fantastic sequel to one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels, The Infinite and the Divine, The Wicked and the Warped follows two immortal rivals as they embark on another chaotic expeditions into one of the most dangerous places in this grimdark universe.  I’ve only just started getting through The Wicked and the Warped and it is proving to be a hilarious and highly addictive novel with a great plot behind it.

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What did you recently finish reading?

He Who Fights With Monsters by Travis Deverell (Trade Paperback)

I got through a few awesome books this week, including the compelling LitRPG novel He Who Fights With Monsters by Australian author Travis Deverell, better known as Shirtaloon. A reprinting of his novel originally released online, He Who Fights With Monsters is a progressive fantasy tale that follows a random Australian dragged to an elaborate fantasy world.  I ended up powering through this novel, which was highly addictive and really fun.

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Mortedant’s Peril by R. J. Barker (Audiobook)

I also finally finished the outstanding fantasy novel Mortedant’s Peril. The latest book from R. J. Barker, Mortedant’s Peril follows a man who can talk to the dead, as he attempts to unravel a dangerous conspiracy within his fractious fantasy city. An incredible fantasy murder mystery novel and one of my new favourite reads of 2026.

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Star Trek: The Last Starship – Volume 1 by Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing and Adrián Bonilla

Another cool thing I read this week was the advance copy of the new Star Trek comic The Last Starship. An intriguing comic that combined elements from several different eras of Star Trek lore, The Last Starship was a great read that explores hope in the darkest of situations. A fantastic comic that serves as an excellent start to a new series.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

The Reckoning by Vikki Petraitis

While I didn’t get to it this week, I’m still hoping to dive into the next Vikki Petraitis novel, The Reckoning, soon.  A continuation of her series that dives into gender violence in small town Australia, The Reckoning looks set to be another intriguing and confronting novel and should be another top piece of Australian fiction for 2026.

 

The Wreck by Riley James

I’m also hoping to keep the Australian crime fiction train going in the next week with the new Riley James book The Wreck. A unique thriller novel featuring secrets and lies on a deserted island; The Wreck has a very intriguing plot behind it and I’m quite curious to see how it turns out, especially after enjoying James’ debut novel The Chilling.

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That’s it for this week; check back in next Wednesday to see what progress I’ve made on my reading and what books I’ll be looking at next.

Top Ten Tuesday – Series or Authors I Need to Catch Up On

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics.  For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, participants need to list their top series that they need to catch up on.  I felt this was a very interesting list to get involved with, as there are several awesome series out there that I’ve partially read, or whose authors I’m already familiar with that I need to read more from.  I ended up coming up with 10 excellent entries for this list, as well as some great honourable mentions.  I honestly really need to explore each of these series a lot more and hopefully including them here will inspire me.  So let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

Empire series by Anthony Riches

An exciting and well-written historical fiction series set in ancient Rome.  I’ve read a few books in this series, including the 11th book River of Gold, but I’ll probably jump back to the start and read the series in its entirety.

 

A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin

A big series with a lot of baggage around it.  I’ve already read A Game of Thrones, but I really need to read all the other book, especially as I’m curious about how the show diverged from the book plot.  The size of these books and how long they will take me to read them are generally the main reason I haven’t dived into this series yet, although I would probably try if the next book in the series ever gets released.

 

Flavia Albia/Falco series by Lindsey Davis

I’ve currently a few books behind on the Flavia Albia series, which I hope to catch up to at some point.  I also really need to read Davis’ original Falco series set before it.

 

Warhammer: The Horus Heresy by various authors

An incredibly complex and elaborate Warhammer series that serves as an extended origin story for the current Warhammer 40,000 canon.  I’ve so far only touched the edges of this combined series, and I hope to take the time and probably read the entire thing at some point (although it’s another major time investment).

Top Ten List:

The Powder Mage trilogy by Brian McClellan

First on this list we have the very awesome Powder Mage trilogy by Brian McClellan.  An exceptional fantasy series that follows revolution and civil war involving gunpowder snorting mages, The Powder Mage trilogy is a major series with some epic action behind it.  I’ve already started this series by powering through the first book, Promise of Blood, which was an outstanding five-star read.  However, I never got the chance to dive into the rest of the books, which is something I’ve really regretted.  I fully intend to read the rest of The Powder Mage novels at some point, and this will probably lead me to the sequel Gods of Blood and Powder trilogy.  An excellent first entry for this list, and one which is a real reading priority for me.

 

Warhammer 40,000: Gaunt’s Ghosts series by Dan Abnett

In this next entry we have a series that I’ve already made a fair bit of progress with, the Gaunt’s Ghosts series by Dan Abnett.  One of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 series, the Gaunt’s Ghosts books follow the exploits of a regiment of regular human soldiers, attempting to survive in the grimdark Warhammer universe.  I have had an exceptional time with this series, which has featured some amazing books like First and Only, Necropolis, The Guns of Tanith and Straight Silver.  I have so far read seven Gaunt’s Ghosts books, but stopped after Sabbat Martyr, which served as a the end point for an arc within the series.  I honestly needed a break after some key deaths in the last few Gaunt’s Ghosts books, and I’ve been distracted with some other Warhammer novels the last few years.  I will hopefully start diving into this series again soon, as it is a key series that any Warhammer fan really needs to check out, and I cannot wait to see how it all comes together.

 

Infinite Timeline by Jeremy Robinson

One of the more unique series on this list is the elaborate Infinite Timeline series by science fiction thriller author Jeremy Robinson.  Initially made up of several seemingly standalone novels with unique storylines, Robinson sought to make a connected universe, when the protagonists of each book eventually interacting and working together to face a larger threat.  I managed to read several books in this series, including Tribe, The Dark and Mind Bullet, but due to coming in a little late, I never got the chance to really sink my teeth into it.  I’m hoping to go back and read more from this series in the future, although Robinson is keeping me distracted with some of his more recent releases.  Overall, though, this was a very cool series concept, and I hope I get the chance to read all the thrilling stories within, especially the awesome sounding Khaos.

 

The Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson

One of the big fantasy series I really need to continue is the iconic The Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson. One of the author’s biggest series (literally), The Stormlight Archives follows several unique characters in a ravaged fantasy realm of spirits and complex magical items.  I really enjoyed the first book in the series, The Way of Kings, which does a wonderful job of setting up the series and which remains the longest audiobook I have ever listened to. However, the insane length of each book in the series is a major reason why I haven’t had the time to keep going with this series.  I’m hoping to eventually scratch together some time to listen to The Stormlight Archive, and I’m very curious to see how this series continues.  I’m also keen to check out Sanderson’s Mistborn series at some point, as I’ve heard it’s exceptional.

 

Batman by Tom King

I don’t have a lot of unfinished comic series on my lists, but one I definitely still need to finish off is Tom King’s run on Batman.  An extended run of 85 issues, King stewardship of Batman produced some particularly powerful storylines that really dove into the character of Batman and the minds of his damaged rogue’s gallery.  I loved every volume of this series I have so far read, although I haven’t had the chance to get into some of the later volumes.  This is a mistake I really must fix, especially as these remaining volumes feature some key moments in the wider Batman mythos.

 

Warhammer Fantasy: Gotrek and Felix series

Probably one of the most iconic series released in the wider Warhammer universe, are the fantasy Gotrek and Felix books.  Following a doomed dwarf slayer, determined to find death in glorious battle, and his human companion as they adventure across the cursed Warhammer Fantasy realm, the Gotrek and Felix books are a fantastic series I had an amazing time getting into.  I’m currently about seven books into this series, having powered through great entries like Trollslayer, Skavenslayer, Daemonslayer, Dragonslayer, Beastslayer, Vampireslayer and Giantslayer.  I’ve stalled a little with the series because Giantslayer was the last Gotrek and Felix book written by original author William King.  I’ve heard that the rest of the series is pretty awesome, and I need to make the jump into the next arc written by Nathan Long.

 

The Great Leveller Trilogy (The First Law series) by Joe Abercrombie

Regular readers of this blog will know that I am massive fan of Joe Abercrombie and his extended First Law series, including the books in the Age of Madness trilogy (A Little Hatred, The Trouble With Peace and The Wisdom of Crowds).  However, I have consistently failed to read the loosely connected Great Leveller trilogy that sits between the original First Law trilogy and the later Age of Madness trilogy.  Made up of three standalone books, Best Served Cold, The Heroes and Red Country, this trilogy is apparently some of Abercrombie’s best writing and I’ve always kicked myself for not reading it sooner.

 

Forsaken trilogy by R. J. Barker

One of the series I haven’t quite started but need to get into is the Forsaken series by R. J. Barker.  Barker is a very talented author who has been writing some amazing and varied series over the last few years, including his Wounded Kingdom (Age of Assassins, Blood of Assassins and King of Assassins) and Tide Child trilogies (The Bone Ships, Call of the Bone Ships and The Bone Ship’s Wake).  I’m also currently nearing the end of his latest novel, Mortedant’s Peril, which is so damn good and is really convincing me to read more of Barker’s work.  As such, I feel that I need to mention the Forsaken books here, which is a series that I completely failed to read, despite having every intention to check out.  Filled with heroes, gods, failed prophecies and continuous winter, all three Forsaken books sounded incredible, but I never had the time to read them.  This is something I need to fix, and this entire trilogy is very high of my must-read list, especially as everything Barker writes is so damn addictive and complex.

 

Sigma Force by James Rollins

Years ago, I had the pleasure of reading some of the earlier books in James Rollins’ Sigma Force series.  A fun thriller series that followed a secretive special forces team as they investigate several unusual events around the world; the Sigma Force books are a major action series with some very crazy cases.  I have long meant to get back into the Sigma Force books, and I really want to start from the beginning and follow it through to some of it’s outrageous sounding latest entries.  I have a feeling that I will have an exceptional time starting this series again, and I’m curious to see just how weird things get in the Sigma Force books.

 

The Buccaneers trilogy by R. A. Salvatore

I’m currently behind on a couple of series and trilogies released by legendary fantasy author R. A. Salvatore, but the one I most want to check out is The Buccaneers.  A compelling series set in Salvatore’s Corona universe, The Buccaneers trilogy serves as a both a continuation of some storylines started in the classic Demon War Saga, as well as the more recent The Coven trilogy (Child of a Mad God, Reckoning of Fallen Gods and Song of the Risen God).  I’m very curious to check out this more nautical themed fantasy series, and it will be interest to see how Salvatore’s awesome overarching narratives continue.  A fantastic series that serves as an excellent final entry for this list.

 

Well, that’s the end of this latest list.  As you can see, there are some amazing series out there that I need to get back into.  I’m pretty happy with how this list came together, and hopefully I will be able to find the time to go back and read this series soon.  Let me know what series and authors you need to catch up on in the comments below.

WWW Wednesday – 12 August 2026

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WWW Wednesday is a weekly post hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

So, let’s get to it.

What are you currently reading:

He Who Fights With Monsters by Travis Deverell (Trade Paperback)

This week I started reading the compelling LitRPG novel He Who Fights With Monsters by Australian author Travis Deverell, better known as Shirtaloon. A reprinting of his novel originally released online, He Who Fights With Monsters is a progressive fantasy tale that follows a random Australian dragged to an elaborate fantasy world.  I’m making some good progress with this massive fantasy novel, which has a great adventure story behind it, and I’m hoping to knock it off in the next week or so.

Amazon

 

Mortedant’s Peril by R. J. Barker (Audiobook)

I’m still going with the outstanding fantasy novel Mortedant’s Peril at the moment. The latest book from R. J. Barker, Mortedant’s Peril follows a man who can talk to the dead, as he attempts to unravel a dangerous conspiracy within his fractious fantasy city. I am having an exceptional time listening to Mortedant’s Peril, which has an addictive narrative, an intriguing setting, and a very clever mystery behind it. I am hoping to finish off Mortedant’s Peril in the next week, and I’m very curious to see how Barker ends this incredible book.

Amazon

What did you recently finish reading?

The Mortons by Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld (Trade Paperback)

I managed to finish off the entertaining crime fiction novel, The Mortons this week.  Written by the team of Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld, The Mortons is a compelling novel that follows a member of an elite criminal family as she becomes part of their murderous business.  An outstanding read with a very unique story behind it.

Amazon

 

A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett (ebook)

I also powered through the new Robert Jackson Bennett novel, A Trade of Blood this week. One of my most anticipated books of 2026, A Trade of Blood lived up to all the hype, with another exceptional and clever fantasy murder mystery narrative. One of the best novels of 2026, this incredible and addictive read comes very highly recommended.

Amazon

 

The Deep and the Drowned by Ian Green (ebook)

Finally, I managed to also read the epic fantasy novel, The Deep and the Drowned by Ian Green, this week.  An exciting and powerful fantasy novel set on the high seas, this was a great novel and one you can really get lost in.

Amazon

What do you think you’ll read next?

The Reckoning by Vikki Petraitis

If I manage to knock off He Who Fights With Monsters this week, I’ll probably dive into the next Vikki Petraitis novel, The Reckoning next.  A continuation of her series that dives into gender violence in small town Australia, The Reckoning looks set to be another intriguing and confronting novel and should be another top piece of Australian fiction for 2026.

 

That’s it for this week; check back in next Wednesday to see what progress I’ve made on my reading and what books I’ll be looking at next.

Book Haul – 10 August 2026

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I’ve had an excellent couple of weeks for books, as I was lucky enough to receive some incredible and amazing new novels from publishers and Netgalley.  These novels include some truly awesome new releases, including books that have the potential to be some of my top reads of the year.  I cannot wait to dive into them, and I so excited to see how they all turn out.

We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman

Let’s start this Book Haul post off strong with the new Richard Osman novel, We Chase Shadows. The sequel to Osman’s exceptional novel, We Solve Murders, We Chase Shadows will see some of Osman’s more entertaining protagonists embark on another international investigation to catch a deadly killer. I absolutely loved We Solve Murders and I have no doubt this amazing sounding sequel is going to be one of the best novels of 2026.

Amazon

 

Choppy Water by Jack Heath

I also was very happy to receive an early copy of the new Jack Heath novel, Choppy Water.  One of the more anticipated Australian releases of 2026, Choppy Water will feature a compelling locked-room mystery as a fugitive attempts to uncover a killer aboard a quarantined cruise ship.  I love the sound of Choppy Water, and I cannot wait to sink my teeth into Heath’s latest crazy crime fiction read.

Amazon

 

The Mortons by Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld

One of the more unique novels I recently received was the fantastic crime fiction novel, The Mortons. Written by the team of Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld, The Mortons follows a talented scion of a family of professional killers and manipulators, who find themselves dragged into a dark conspiracy surrounding their family. I’ve actually already finished The Mortons, and it turned out to be a deeply compelling and memorable novel I couldn’t get enough off.  Highly recommended, I’m hoping to review The Mortons soon.

Amazon

 

He Who Fights With Monsters by Travis Deverell (Shirtaloon)

I’ve recently received the cool LitRPG novel He Who Fights With Monsters by Australian author Travis Deverell, better known as Shirtaloon. A paperback reprinting of the author’s online LitRPG sensation, He Who Fights With Monsters sounds pretty amazing, and I’m hoping to dive into the massive novel soon.

Amazon

 

Templar Assassin by Angus Donald

Angus Donald continues to explore the Mongol horde from a unique perspective with his next book Templar Assassin. The sequel to his fantastic historical fiction novel Templar Traitor, Templar Assassin will continue to explore the life of an apparently rogue Templar Knight, who journeyed into Asia and joined the army of the legendary Genghis Khan. I look forward to reading this book, which should provide some excellent historical adventure and intrigue.

Amazon

 

The Reckoning by Vikki Petraitis

Vikki Petraitis continues to write timely and thought-provoking Australian fiction in 2026 with her latest novel The Reckoning. Following on from her previous novels The Unbelieved and The Stolen, The Reckoning once again returns to small town Australia divided to gender violence, when a poisoning targeted at two freed rapists threatens to kill multiple people. I am very curious to see where Petraitis takes her latest story, and The Reckoning will likely end up being one of the more intense and powerful Australian reads of 2026.

 

The Cruise by Naïma Brown

An intriguing new thriller that sees a woman and her squad of best friends attempt to get revenge on a man who wronged her many years ago. The Cruise sounds like a great book, and I look forward to diving into it.

Amazon

 

Full Circle by Chris Hammer

An exciting and intriguing standalone thriller from one of Australia’s best-known authors, Chris Hammer, Full Circle sounds like a great novel, and I’m hoping to finally read something from Hammer after all these years.

Amazon

 

Shadow of Dragons by Jacob Peppers

An intriguing epic fantasy novel with an awesome sounding plot. I am really hoping to get a chance to read Shadow of Dragons this year, and I’m sure I will love it.

Amazon

 

Five Voices by Tamara Moss

The final book I recently received is the young adult thriller Five Voices by Tamara Moss. An excellent sounding novel about murder and mystery surrounding a group of young podcasters, Five Voices sounds like a fantastic read and I’m very excited to check it out.

Amazon

 

Well, that’s the end of this latest Book Haul post.  As you can see I have quite a bit of reading to do at the moment thanks to all these awesome books that have come in.  Let me know which of the above you are most interested in and make sure to check back in a few weeks to see my reviews of them.

WWW Wednesday – 5 August 2026

On By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW WednesdayLeave a comment

WWW Wednesday is a weekly post hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

So, let’s get to it.

What are you currently reading:

The Mortons by Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld (Trade Paperback)

I’ve started reading the compelling and entertaining crime fiction novel, The Mortons this week.  Written by the team of Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld, The Mortons is a compelling novel that follows a member of an elite criminal family as she becomes part of their murderous business.  I’ve already made a good amount of progress with The Mortons, which is turning out to be a fantastic and impressive read.  I will hopefully finish The Mortons off in the next day or two, and I’m very curious to see where its story goes.

Amazon

 

Mortedant’s Peril by R. J. Barker (Audiobook)

After recently mentioning it in a Top Ten List about books from the first half of the year I still need to read, I decided to listen to the outstanding fantasy novel Mortedant’s Peril this week. The latest book from R. J. Barker, Mortedant’s Peril follows a man who can talk to the dead, as he attempts to unravel a dangerous conspiracy within his fractious fantasy city. I am having an exceptional time listening to Mortedant’s Peril, which has an addictive narrative, an intriguing setting, and a fun sense of adventure to it. I am hoping to get through a lot of Mortedant’s Peril in the next week, and I’m very curious to see where Barker takes this awesome book

Amazon

What did you recently finish reading?

Bad Neighbours by Joanna Jenkins (Trade Paperback)

I managed to finish off the new Joanna Jenkins crime fiction novel, Bad Neighbours this week. The follow-up to Jenkins’ previous Australian books, How to Kill a Client and The Bluff, Bad Neighbours was a compelling crime fiction read, and I deeply enjoyed it’s fantastic story and amazing twists.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: Ghosts of Cadia by Rob Young (Audiobook)

I also finished off the latest Rob Young Warhammer 40,000 novel Ghosts of Cadia. The sequel to Young’s previous novel, Longshot, Ghosts of Cadia was a compelling, action-charged read that I couldn’t get enough of. An epic and exciting novel that comes highly recommended.

Amazon

 

Stay Buried by Jane R. Miles (Trade Paperback)

A dark and complex Australian crime fiction debut, that makes interesting use of a major historical tragedy.

Amazon

What do you think you’ll read next?

A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett

The next book I am hoping to read is the new Robert Jackson Bennett novel, A Trade of Blood. One of my most anticipated books of 2026, A Trade of Blood will follow on from Bennett’s previous novels The Tainted Cup and A Drop of Corruption, with more exceptional fantasy crime fiction hijinks. I have no doubt A Trade of Blood is going to be exceptional, and I am so very excited to finally read this book.

Amazon

 

The Deep and the Drowned by Ian Green

I am also hoping to read the epic fantasy novel, The Deep and the Drowned by Ian Green, this week as well.  I love the sound of The Deep and the Drowned’s exciting plot, as well as its outstanding cover, and I have no doubt I am going to have an exceptional time with this book.

Amazon

 

That’s it for this week; check back in next Wednesday to see what progress I’ve made on my reading and what books I’ll be looking at next.

Waiting on Wednesday – Absolon Creed by R. S. Ford

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Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I check out an awesome upcoming fantasy novel with Absolon Creed by R. S. Ford.

Amazon

I’m always in the mood for epic and dark fantasy reads and one of the more compelling sounding upcoming releases of 2026 is set to be released by R. S. Ford.  Ford is a veteran fantasy author who has previously written several intriguing series across the genres.  This includes his The Age of Uprising series (Engines of Empire), as well as some other excellent fantasy releases.  Readers may also be familiar with Ford’s contributions to the historical fiction genre under the alternate pen name of Richard Cullen, which includes his excellent Chronicles of the Black Lion series (Rebellion and Crusade).  I’ve had a great time with several of Ford’s previous novels; however, his next book has the potential to be his most exciting.

This new book is the fantastic sounding Absolon Creed, which is currently set for release in November 2026.  A grimdark fantasy novel with a compelling murder mystery centre, Absolon Creed sounds awesome, as it sets a monster-slaying knight on a quest to uncover a killer in city on the edge of ruin.  Everything about this novel, including its brutal setting, damaged protagonists and captivating plot, sounds incredible, and I have no doubt it is going to result in an outstanding read.  As such, I am extremely excited for Absolon Creed, and I have a feeling it is going to be a top fantasy novel of 2026.

Plot Synopsis:

A legendary soldier is the last line of defense between his city and monstrous chaos in this grimdark adventure from an unmissable voice in epic fantasy.

Bastion, the once-shining capital of Morrengard, teeters on the brink. Its grand spires are crumbling and its nobility fight over scraps, all while eldritch creatures stalk the streets. The only thing standing in the way of its utter destruction is the Order of Draken: a knightly order more brutal than the threats the city faces. And its most brutal champion… Absolon Creed.

When two nobles are found murdered in a manner most grotesque, suspicions arise about a traitor within the Order itself. Creed is tasked with investigating, and for his sins he is saddled with a partner: Guenivar Blackmere, a daughter of nobility and the Order’s newest, and most untested, initiate.

Together, they are plunged into Bastion’s fetid underbelly, where warlocks rub elbows with corrupt nobles and necromancers cavort with the dead. Guenivar must learn fast or perish under Creed’s cold tutelage. Her mentor is quick to anger, and about as friendly as a cornered wolf, but that is the only way to survive these unforgiving streets.

But as the investigation deepens, Guenivar discovers a secret about him that could shatter everything she believed about the order and its heroes. While Creed himself must defeat the ghosts he’s spent years trying to bury… before they bury Bastion itself.