WWW Wednesday – 23 October 2024

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme 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:

Buried Deep and Other Stories by Naomi Novik (Trade Paperback)

I just started reading the intriguing new Naomi Novik book, Buried Deep and Other Stories.  A collection of short stories from the acclaimed fantasy author, Buried Deep and Other Stories features an intriguing array of tales from Novik’s various fantasy worlds, including the setting of her next big series.  I have already gotten through the first story and it proved to be a lot of fun.  I will hopefully get through the rest of the book pretty quickly and I look forward to seeing what other great adventures it contains

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: Above and Beyond by Denny Flowers (Audiobook)

I was still in a massive Warhammer 40,000 mood this week, so I started listening to Above and Beyond by Denny Flowers, which I had been really looking forward to.  The sequel to one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels, Outgunned, Above and Beyond places the protagonists of the first book, a disgraced propaganda expert and a legendary, if exceedingly cynical, pilot, in a new dangerous situation.  A compelling mixture of action, intrigue, and eccentric characters, all while providing a particularly dark look at the Warhammer 40,000 universe, Above and Beyond is an exceptional read and one I will hopefully knock off very soon.

Amazon

What did you recently finish reading?

The Waiting by Michael Connelly (Trade Paperback)

Another outstanding novel from Connelly.  Featuring three fantastic major protagonists, The Waiting had some very clever mysteries in it, and this was one of the best crime fiction reads of 2024.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: Dominion Genesis by Jonathan D. Beer (Audiobook)

Another outstanding Warhammer 40,000 novel that focused on a unique faction in the game, Dominion Genesis by Jonathan D. Beer was a particularly intriguing and compelling novel that I could not get enough of.  Review to hopefully follow soon.

Amazon

 

How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler (Trade Paperback)

One of the funniest and most compelling fantasy novels of 2024.  I loved this comedic take on the classic heroic tale, especially as Wexler made it very over-the-top in all the right ways.

Amazon

 

Rebellion by Richard Cullen (ebook)

An excellent and exciting historical fiction novel that focused on an intriguing period of English history.  I had a lot of fun with Rebellion, especially as I was in the mood for a fun and entertaining historical adventure.

Amazon

What do you think you’ll read next?

The Heart of the World by Amie Kaufman

I’m planning to read the intriguing young adult fantasy novel The Heart of the World by Australian author Amie Kaufman next.  The sequel to The Isles of the Gods, The Heart of the World will take Kaufman’s teenage protagonists on a dark and intense journey as they try to stop a destructive war.

Amazon

 

The Fury of the Gods by John Gwynne

I am also planning to start reading the new John Gwynne book, The Fury of the Gods, in the next week.  The final book in Gwynne’s epic and exceptional Bloodsworn Saga (see my reviews for The Shadow of the Gods and The Hunger of the Gods), The Fury of the Gods has so much awesome potential and it will probably end up being one of my favourite fantasy books of 2024.

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 – Interceptor City and Elemental Council

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 highlight two epic upcoming Warhammer 40,000 novels that are sure to be extremely awesome, Interceptor City and Elemental Council.

I have been on a massive Warhammer 40,000 roll lately, brought on by all the amazing books from this franchise that have been released this year.  I actually did another Waiting on Wednesday post on upcoming Warhammer 40,000 novels a few weeks ago, but in the short time since I published that post, even more fantastic new entries in the franchise have been announced.  As such, I thought I would do a quickly supplementary Waiting on Wednesday here to highlight another two epic upcoming Warhammer 40,000 books I am hoping to get my hands on.

The first of these books is Interceptor City by Dan Abnett.  Abnett is an absolute master of Warhammer 40,000 fiction, having written multiple novels within the franchise, including a couple of series universally accepted as the seminal works of Warhammer fiction.  I have fallen deeply in love with many of Abnett’s books, with his Eisenhorn trilogy and Gaunt’s Ghosts books earning a well-deserved place on my list of best Warhammer 40,000 novels.  As such, I will instantly grab anything new written by Abnett, but his next book, Interceptor City, is going to be something very special indeed.

Interceptor City is the long-awaited sequel to one of Abnett’s best novels, Double EagleDouble Eagle was a brilliant and epic read that followed a band of aerial fighter pilots as they attempt to save a planet under siege from a horde of enemy bombers and fighters.  I just read Double Eagle for the first time a couple of weeks ago in preparation for this sequel and it is frankly one of my new favourite Warhammer 40,000 books, especially as it featured an impressive story, great characters, and some of the most exciting and elaborate aerial action sequences you are likely to see.  I cannot emphasise just how impressive Double Eagle was, and it got a very easy five-star rating from me.  As such, I am extremely excited to now get my hands on the sequel, and Interceptor City has a great plot concept behind it.

Plot Synopsis:

The Imperium is locked into a gruelling war of attrition for the fate of Vesperus during the Sabbat Worlds Crusade – a dead hive on the planet Lysander nicknamed ‘Interceptor City’. Former ace fighter pilot Bree Jagdea is forced to give up her relatively safe life of supply runs, and is enlisted in the infamous Circus 66 squadron, whose contributions to the war effort are far more dangerous. In Vesperus’ lethal rat runs, the smallest error means certain death – the only question is whether Bree can make it through this hellish gauntlet alive.

While the plot synopsis above is a little short, it none-the-less has got me very excited for Interceptor City.  Bringing back one of the main protagonists of Double Eagle, Bree Jagdea, for another dangerous flying adventure is going to be a ton of fun, and I look forward to seeing how the character has evolved since her previous book, especially when dragged into another dangerous fighter ace squadron.  It also looks liked Abnett is setting up a pretty awesome scenario with the pilots forced to fight another brutal war, this time in the remnants of a Hive City.

Look, based on how much I love Abnett’s writing and just how awesome and epic the first book in this series, Double Eagle, was, there was no way that I wasn’t grabbing Interceptor City later this year.  However, I really love the cool sound of the plot above, and I cannot wait to see what crazy aerial antics Abnett will feature in the gritty spires of this new setting.  I am expecting another particularly impressive and action-packed adventure in Interceptor City, and I have a feeling this will end up being my favourite Warhammer 40,000 novel released in 2024.

In addition to the awesome Interceptor City, we will also be blessed with a more unique and intriguing Warhammer 40,000 novel with Elemental Council by author Noah Van Nguyen.  Set to focus on the always fascinating T’au faction, Elemental Council will see a band of specialist T’au come together in one ruling body to ensure the successful subjugation of a conquered human planet.  However, as this is the Warhammer universe, nothing is going to go their way.

Plot Synopsis:

As the Fifth Sphere Expansion continues to annex Imperial worlds on the galactic fringe, fewer and fewer planets are acquiescing peacefully to the change in leadership as the T’au Empire heads deeper into human space. Pockets of resistance are a constant thorn in their side, and one such insurrection threatens to overwhelm the recently acquired world of Cao Quo in Elemental Council – a new Warhammer 40,000 novel written by Noah Van Nguyen, author of The Godeater’s Son and Yndrasta: The Celestial Spear.

This exciting new story of intrigue and clandestine warfare stars an Elemental Council, luminaries from each of the Empire’s castes. Brought together by the enigmatic ethereal Yor’i to pacify the resistance, they’ll need to work together to forge their unique skills into an unbeatable team.

And unbeatable they will need to be, as the insurgency is no mere rabble of disorganised instigators, but one commanded by the ruthless and brilliant Brother-Sergeant Artamax – a Space Marine of the Raptors Chapter. As one of the few Chapters to specialise in sabotage, infiltration, and guerilla warfare, the Raptors are exactly the kind of Astartes you don’t want meddling in the stability of a newly conquered world.

If that was all they had to contend with, the Elemental Council would be hard-pressed, but soon even more devious enemies begin to emerge from both sides of the divide, with the fate of Cao Quo in the balance. Who they are and what their goals are is a mystery, but one you’ll be able to uncover soon.

The T’au are one of the more interesting factions in the Warhammer 40,000 canon, and there is an unfortunate dearth of books told from their perspective.  As such, I am curious to read Elemental Council when it comes out, especially as you will get a good look at each of the T’au’s four castes and how they work together for the Greater Good.  Of course, I am also quite intrigued to see how these brilliant T’au minds fare against the relentless fury of a deadly Space Marine, and I like the idea of a sabotage focuses lone Space Marine, and what over enemies emerge, gumming up the works for them behind the lines.  This mixture of unique, faction-specific characters has a lot of potential, and I cannot wait to see what sort of awesome and elaborate narrative the author comes up with here.

It looks like Warhammer 40,000 fans are in for an awesome time in the coming months, as we have another two epic books coming out soon.  Interceptor City and Elemental Council sound so damn cool, and I look forward to exploring their compelling new narratives.  I honestly believe that both these Warhammer 40,000 books have a ton of potential, and I am very excited to get my hands on them once they come out.

Book Haul – 22 October 2024

I’ve had another excellent week for books, as I was lucky enough to receive several incredible and amazing new novels from local 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.

The Fury of the Gods by John Gwynne

I was very, very happy to receive the latest epic fantasy novel from John Gwynne, The Fury of the Gods.  The third and final book in the Bloodsworn trilogy, The Fury of the Gods will follow on from the exceptional reads, The Shadow of the Gods and The Hunger of the Gods.  Set to showcase the final battle between several bands of warriors and the reborn gods, The Fury of the Gods will easily be one of the top fantasy books of 2024 and I am extremely keen to check it out, especially after once again witnessing this glorious cover art.

Amazon

 

The Ghosts of August by Peter Watt

Another excellent book I was happy to get my hands on was the fantastic Australian historical fiction novel, The Ghosts of August by Peter Watt.  The sixth and final book in Watt’s excellent Colonial series, The Ghosts of August will continue to follow members of an Australian family as they battle their way through various key historical events.  This final book will be set around World War I and should prove to be another outstanding read.  I have had a lot of fun with this series over the last few years (see my reviews for The Queen’s Colonial, The Queen’s Tiger, The Queen’s Captain, The Colonial’s Son and Call of Empire), and I have no doubt Watt will end this series on a great note.

Amazon

 

Everyone this Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson

As an early Christmas gift, I was lucky enough to get a copy of the new Benjamin Stevenson book, Everyone This Christmas has a Secret.  Following on from his previous awesome novels, Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone and Everyone on This Train is a Suspect, Everyone This Christmas has a Secret is a short, but intriguing entry in the series that will see the protagonist attempt to work out which performer at a Christmas show is a murderer.  I know that I am going to have a ton of fun with this book, and its sure to be one of the top Australian novels of 2024.

Amazon

 

Rebellion by Richard Cullen

An exciting historical fiction release, Rebellion is a great new novel from Richard Cullen that follows an uprising against King John by his nobles.  I loved the sound of this cool book, and I actually started reading it today.  It’s proving to be a very exciting and compelling historical read that focuses on a fantastic period of history.

Amazon

 

Blood Over Bright Haven by M. L. Wang

One of the books I recently received with the most potential is the epic novel, Blood Over Bright Haven.  An intrigue laden book about politics and study in a magical university, Blood Over Bright Haven sounds really cool and I am very keen to get through its fantastic sounding plot.  I’m also interested in reading something from author M. L. Wang, especially after hearing some good things about her previous novel, The Sword of Kaigen, and I look forward to seeing how this book turns out.

Amazon

 

The Great Library of Tomorrow by Rosalia Aguilar Solace

The final book I recently received was The Great Library of Tomorrow by Rosalia Aguilar Solace.  An intricate fantasy novel about a multidimensional library, The Great Library of Tomorrow looks set to be a fascinating read and I am looking forward to diving into it.

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.

Warhammer 40,000: Double Eagle by Dan Abnett

Publisher: Black Library (Audiobook – 1 January 2004)

Series: Warhammer 40,000/Sabbat Worlds

Length: 10 hours and 16 minutes

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Amazon

The master of Warhammer fiction, Dan Abnett, takes to the skies with the deeply addictive and ultra epic fighter pilot novel Double Eagle.

Readers familiar with this blog will know that I have been extremely damn obsessed with Warhammer fiction the last couple of years, having spent a substantial amount of time reading and reviewing numerous books from the franchise.  Of the many Warhammer fiction authors I have read during this period, one of the most impressive is the legendary Dan Abnett, who has written so many exceptional and powerful books around the franchise, including several series considered to be the seminal texts of the extended universe.  I have had a ton of fun with many of his books, including his brilliant Eisenhorn trilogy (Xenos, Malleus and Hereticus), and he has multiple entries in my current favourite Warhammer 40,000 books list.  However, his best-known series is the iconic Gaunt’s Ghosts books, which I am currently in the middle of reading.

The Gaunt’s Ghosts books are a beloved and key series of Warhammer 40,000 fiction that seeks to give readers a moving look at the lives of the frontline human soldier in this grimdark universe.  Set in an extended, multi-planet campaign, known as the Sabbat Worlds Crusade, the Gaunt’s Ghosts books follow a ragged regiment of soldiers as they attempt to survive the dark servants of Chaos coming for them.  I am having an exceptional time reading the Gaunt’s Ghosts series, and in 2024 alone I have read two particularly epic entries, Straight Silver and Sabbat Martyr.  However, before I dive any further into the series, I decided to read the spin-off novel, Double Eagle, which I have had on my to-read list for a while now.  Double Eagle was an interesting and unique novel that follows members of an airmen wing who were introduced in the fifth Gaunt’s Ghosts book, The Guns of Tanith.  Set after their mission with the Ghosts, Double Eagle follows these pilots, including a few characters from The Guns of Tanith, in a brutal new campaign.

War has engulfed the Sabbat World system as the forces of the Imperium of Man attempt to reclaim multiple worlds invaded by the forces of Chaos.  After years of fighting, the Imperium’s crusade has reached a tipping point, with victory or defeat for the entire campaign hanging on the results of a few key battles.  While the fighting is fierce throughout the system, nowhere is it more desperate than the beleaguered world of Enothis.

After failing to conquer the Chaos footholds on Enothis, the infantry and armoured forces of the Imperium are in full retreat, attempting to traverse miles of hostile terrain to return to safe territory, all while being harassed by relentless enemy aircraft.  With the fate of the planet in the balance, the commanders of the crusade deploy multiple squadrons of Imperial fighters and bombers to Enothis to turn the entire conflict into an air war.  If the Imperial pilots can hold back the advancing tides of Chaos and allow the ground forces to regroup the war for Enothis may be won.  But if the airmen fail, then Enothis and the entire Sabbat Worlds campaign is doomed.

Amongst the pilots sent to Enothis are the elite flyers of the Phantine Air Corps.  Veterans from the recent war to liberate their home planet of Phantine, the pilots of the Phantine Air Corps are determined to do their bit in this new conflict.  But the battle for Enothis will be unlike anything seen before, as thousands of Chaos aircraft descend on the planet, hoping to obliterate the defenders.  Severely outnumbered, can even the dogged Phantine pilots hold back the approaching tide of dark air machines before the planet is conquered, especially with an unnaturally skilled Chaos ace stalking the skies, determined to bring every opposing pilot down in flames?

Just when I think that Dan Abnett couldn’t impress me even more, I go and read Double Eagle.  A brilliant, intense, and exceptionally well-written novel that focuses on a particularly cool aspect of the Warhammer universe, Double Eagle blew me away with its great characters and elaborate air combat sequences.  I had an incredible time with Double Eagle, and it gets an easy five-star rating from me.

I deeply, deeply enjoyed Double Eagle, as Abnett took the brief of a Battle of Britain-inspired Warhammer 40,000 story and applied his usual impressively detailed style and powerful character-driven storytelling to produce an outstanding and addictive read.  Perfectly spinning off from the previous Gaunt’s Ghosts books and bringing the reader to another adventure in the expansive Sabbat World Crusades, Double Eagle has a brilliant narrative loaded with action that goes hard and fast for your feels and refuses to let go once it has you firmly in your grasp.

Double Eagle starts off quickly, getting the reader across the brutal new campaign and the importance of the aerial war that emerges, you are soon introduced to multiple characters and shown some initial awesome sequences with some explosive dogfights.  From there the story moves at a fast but smart pace, as you follow several distinctive and often overlapping character arcs throughout the length of the brutal campaign on Enothis.  You really get dragged into each major protagonist’s story as they attempt to survive the flying war.  There are some excellent battle scenes in this first half of the book and Abnett really shows how epic he can make a fighter pilot dogfight very early on.  The characters each experience some highs and lows in the first half of the book, and it doesn’t take you long to get attached the protagonists and their complex personal tales within the confines of the main story.

However, it is the second half of the book where everything comes together perfectly.  Each of the protagonists experience some version of personal loss or difficulty, and the impact of the war slowly drains them, taking them to some dark places.  Abnett sets up a brilliant underdog narrative around the protagonists, as the massive fleet of Chaos airships seek to crush them.  You can really see the parallels between this narrative and the Battle for Britain at this point, especially as the tired and severely outnumbered Phantine fighters and their local allies attempt to hold back the overwhelming and often Germanic-inspired forces coming for them.  Everything leads up to a massive final confrontation, as the protagonists engage in a series of brutal and drawn-out dogfights and aerial confrontations as we lead up to the finale.  While a couple of the character arcs leading up to this are a tad unsurprising, the way that Abnett writes them makes you love every second it.  The author brings everything to an epic close with continued and captivating action that honestly is impossible not to react to at times.  There are some very powerful moments at the closes, especially when some characters get everything they want, and you come away from Double Eagle wishing Abnett had made this book even longer.

Abnett once again masterfully crafts his compelling narrative together in such an effective way that I honestly just couldn’t stop listening to this book.  Making excellent use of multiple complex perspectives, you are swiftly drawn into the lives of several ordinary soldiers drafted into the deadly aerial war against a massive opposing fleet.  Featuring a range of complex characters arcs, Abnett expertly balances the character-driven plot between the various perspectives, while also featuring an epic war story that hits in all the right places.  Abnett’s use of quick-fire perspective changes works to create an excellent and fast-paced narrative, and it works especially well in some of the novel’s more intense sequences.  Speaking of action, you can’t talk about Double Eagle without discussing the amazing and epic aerial fight scenes and dogfights that make the book so damn distinctive.  Abnett did a remarkable job of harnessing the energy and feel of classic World War II fighter combat and bringing it into the Warhammer 40,000 universe.  Featuring many, many awesome sequences of aerial combat, Double Eagle really feels like you’re in a futuristic Battle for Britain as you witness fights between small groups of fighters fending off mass raids from Chaos forces, as well as sequences from the perspective of Imperial bombers.  The resulting dogfights between advanced fighter craft works so damn well in the context of the story, and you are treated to some truly epic sequences.  I was constantly enthralled by the brilliant aerial combat and flight sequences, and Abnett did an exceptional job expressing the intensities of flight, the ultra-fast pace nature of the combat, and the craziness of a massed aerial battle.  I could have honestly spent many, many more hours listening to Abnett’s descriptions of aerial combat, and there are so many excellent writing elements to this book that drag you in.

Double Eagle also proved to be an interesting and particularly strong Warhammer 40,000 novel that is really going to appeal to a wide range of readers.  Spinning off from the Gaunt’s Ghosts books, Double Eagle is tailor made for fans of the original series, although familiarity with the Gaunt’s Ghosts books isn’t necessary to enjoy this epic book.  While there are a few references, returning characters, and discussions about the overarching Sabbat Worlds Crusade, for the most part any reader can easily dive into Double Eagle and follow the story with no issues at all.  As with most tie-in books in the franchise, Double Eagle is best enjoyed by existing Warhammer fans, who will once again enjoy Abnett’s compelling insights into the canon.  I know that I really loved the exploration of Warhammer 40,000 air combat, and I loved how Abnett explored the physics, as well as the reasons why aerial fighters are still utilised in a universe where space travel exists.  However, I also felt that Double Eagle would serve as a pretty good entry point to any new readers interested in finding out why the Warhammer 40,000 universe is so damn cool.  Indeed, readers who are a fan of aerial focused military fiction or World War II fighter combat fiction can very easily jump into the new world here, as Abnett really presents a tale they would enjoy.  I need to read more Warhammer books from Abnett (I have several currently in my queue), and I currently very excited to read the recently announced sequel to Double Eagle, Interceptor City, which is set to be released later this year.

I found that the writing element that really brought Double Eagle together where the excellent characters at the heart and soul of the plot.  Focusing on several intriguing pilot characters, Abnett dove into the mindset of these flyers and did an amazing job capturing their love of the air and their desire to be the best.  However, as the book continues, you see a darker side to many of these characters, as the toil of war drags them down into their own mental hells.  While it did take me a little while to get across every protagonist, I eventually got drawn into the excellent character-focused storylines that Abnett set up in Double Eagle, and it was great to see the return of several characters introduced in The Guns of Tanith.  This includes the Phantine flight commander, Bree Jagdea, and the bombardier Oskar Viltry.  Jagdea proves to be a great centre for much of the plot, and her steady determination to keep her flight together and survive the various rigors of war, really strike a chord with the reader.  Viltry’s narrative is a little more complex, as the veteran pilot is suffering from trauma after being shot down and captured in The Guns of Tanith.  Certain about his own impending death, Viltry spends much of the book as a morose and depressed figure, until he finds someone worth living for.  Viltry’s storyline proves to be particularly heartfelt, especially as he has a relatively nice romance angle, and I felt that Abnett really captured his trauma and desire for a better life.

Aside from Jagdea and Viltry, Double Eagle also features several other impressive perspective characters who really bring the narrative together.  This includes young Phantine pilot, Vander Marquall, who serves as a major protagonist.  A rookie pilot fighting in his first campaign, Marquall has a massive desire to prove himself.  His obsession with becoming an ace and being respected becomes an overwhelming part of his character, and you find yourself occasionally disliking him, while also simultaneously cheering him on.  Thanks to his interactions with the other characters, Marquall gets some much-needed perspective at times (that scene with his mechanic at the end was brilliant), and I felt he had one of the most complex, dark and relatable storylines in the entire book.  Abnett rounds out the characters with local pilots August Kaminsky, a wounded veteran no longer allowed to fly, and Enric Darrow, a rookie without a plane after getting shot down in the opening scenes by the novel’s big bad.  While parts of Kaminsky and Darrow’s storylines are a little predictable, you really get invested in their various battles, especially as Abnett produces some interesting character moments and interactions for them.  I especially loved the hilarious exchanges between Kaminsky and Jagdea during one fun sequence, and Darrow proves to be a very likeable and determined young character to get behind.  These main characters, plus an excellent supporting cast, were great to follow in Double Eagle, and it will be awesome to continue at least one survivor’s story in the upcoming sequel.

It should come as no surprise to anyone that I ended up listening to Double Eagle on audiobook, as there is frankly no better way to enjoy an epic Warhammer 40,000 novel.  While I always gush about how much I enjoy a Warhammer audiobook, I frankly really need to emphasise just how impressive and exceptional Double Eagle was in this format.  The many, many aerial combat sequences come across so damn well when they are read out to you, and I loved how easily it was to visualise the fast-paced and exceptional flight scenes.  You really get lost in the battles when you listen to them, and I was frankly buzzing the entire time I was listening to Double Eagle.  Part of the reason this audiobook was so damn good was the inclusion of one of my favourite audiobook narrators Toby Longworth.  Longworth has lent his voice to most of Abnett’s Warhammer 40,000 novels in recent years, and frankly the two are a match made in heaven.  The story comes across so effectively in Longworth’s voice, and he really makes every scene, especially the exciting action sequences, that little more epic.  I also really love the fantastic and compelling voices he uses for the various characters.  While a couple of character voices sounded the same as those Longworth used in the Gaunt’s Ghosts audiobooks, I felt that they perfectly fit every figure they were assigned to, and you really get drawn into the matching character arcs as a result.  Frankly this audiobook was perfect, and I had so much fun listening to it.  With a run time of just over 10 hours, the Double Eagle audiobook is very easy to power through, and that is exactly what I did.

With an elaborate, powerful and addictive story about glorious battles in the sky, Double Eagle was a particularly epic Warhammer 40,000 novel that proves impossible not to fall in love with.  Another exceptional novel from Dan Abnett, who once again shows why he is one of the best authors of Warhammer fiction, Double Eagle had me hooked from the very first chapter, and I honestly couldn’t stop reading it until the very end.  This book comes very highly recommended, and I cannot wait to read the sequel later this year.

Amazon

WWW Wednesday – 16 October 2024

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme 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 Waiting by Michael Connelly (Trade Paperback)

I just started reading the new Michael Connelly novel The Waiting.  The latest book from Connelly to feature his awesome police protagonists, Renee Ballard and Harry Bosch, The Waiting sees them team up to investigate another series of intriguing cases, including an infamous cold case murder.  Set to be one of the best crime fiction reads of 2024, I have been really excited for The Waiting and I cannot wait to see how this twisty mystery unfolds.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: Dominion Genesis by Jonathan D. Beer (Audiobook)

I also started listening to one of the latest Warhammer 40,000 novels, Dominion Genesis by Jonathan D. Beer.  The second book from Beer following their excellent 2023 debut, The King of the Spoil, Dominion Genesis sees Beer follow the mechanical and inhuman tech priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus as they attempt to survive a devastating alien invasion.  I haven’t gotten too far into Dominion Genesis yet, but it’s so far been an interesting start.  I look forward to seeing how this entire novel comes together, and I am eager for more Warhammer awesomeness.

Amazon

What did you recently finish reading?

High Wire by Candice Fox (Trade Paperback)

An exciting and explosive Australian thriller, High Wire was an excellent read and I am hoping to write a review for it soon.

Amazon

 

A Tide of Black Steel by Anthony Ryan (Audiobook)

I absolutely powered through the audiobook version of the new Anthony Ryan fantasy novel A Tide of Black Steel this week.  A sequel to Ryan’s The Covenant of Steel trilogy (The PariahThe Martyr and The Traitor), A Tide of Black Steel was an epic read that I could not get enough of.  An outstanding novel and one of my favourite fantasy books of 2024 so far.

Amazon

What do you think you’ll read next?

How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler

I’ve got several great books to read at the moment, but I think I’ll try to read the hilarious sounding novel, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler next. A comedic take on the classic tale of good vs evil, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying will follow a hero who keeps dying in a time loop as they finally snap and decide to become an evil dark lord to survive.  I love the sound of this funny and cool fantasy novel, and I know I am going to have a ton of fun reading it.

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 – Whisper in the Wind by Luke Arnold

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.  In this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I check out an exciting and intriguing upcoming addition to a unique fantasy series with Whisper in the Wind by Luke Arnold.

Amazon

Back in 2020 I was lucky enough to get my hands on a very interesting fantasy book, The Last Smile in Sunder City.  The debut novel of actor turned author Luke Arnold and the first book in his Fetch Phillips series, The Last Smile in Sunder City was a dark and compelling fantasy book with an excellent hook to it.  The series is set in a fantasy realm where magic has been destroyed, and the various former magical creatures are now disfigured, depowered or dying, and the previously oppressed humans find themselves with an advantage.  Following the titular character of Fetch Phillips a depressed human private investigator and odd-jobs man with a desire to help the formerly magical creatures, The Last Smile in Sunder City saw him attempt to find missing children, while also discovering a potential cure for the lost magic.  This proved to be an outstanding book, especially with its unique setting and its compelling character arc around Fetch, who is shown to be personally responsible for the chaos engulfing the world.  The Last Smile in Sunder City ended up being one of my favourite debuts and top Australian fiction releases in 2020, and I had a wonderful time reading it.

Arnold continued to impress with his Fetch Phillips series as the years continued.  His second book, Dead Man in a Ditch, proved to be a worthy sequel, especially as it introduced a great overarching antagonist for the series, set up a great storyline about technology replacing magic and pushed the protagonist even further down a dark past.  This all cumulated in a brilliant third book One Foot in the Fade, which was probably Arnold’s best book in the series.  After discovering a former genie capable of returning magic to people, Fetch and several companions embark on an intense journey to recover an artefact that could empower her.  This resulted in a particularly gripping read, especially as Fetch’s obsession with undoing his wrong leads him along a particularly dark path.  Arnold ended One Foot in the Fade on an excellent note, as Fetch starts a new era in his journey and tries to find peace a different way.

Due to how much fun I have had with this series in the past, I have been keeping an eye out for another book from Arnold and I was happy to find out that he had a fourth Fetch Phillips book coming out next year.  This fourth book, Whisper in the Wind, is set for release in April 2025, and will set Fetch on another adventure despite his desire to live a simple life.

Plot Synopsis:

The fourth installment of Luke Arnold’s Fetch Phillips series, Whisper in the Wind, takes readers to a very different Sunder City. One where government corruption is rampant and tensions are rising.

Fetch is done being a hero. Once a detective, all he wants now is to run his cafe in peace. Sunder City is still recovering from the sudden and violent end of magic, and if one man can’t solve all its problems, he can at least stop some people going hungry. But when a kid on the run shelters in Fetch’s cafe, and a chain of gruesome murders begins among Sunder’s high and mighty, trouble is brought to Fetch’s door.

There’s a word whispered on the wind, and that word is revolution…

This sounds like another pretty epic entry in the Fetch Phillips series, and I am very interested to see how Arnold is going to continue the series here.  Based on the synopsis above, it seems that Whisper in the Wind is going to be set some point after the third book, with a retired protagonist forced back into his previous problems.  This should be an excellent and natural continuation of the story elements that the author previously set up in the previous books, and I assume we are going to see some of the recurring antagonists and corruption from the previous novels come back to the fore.  As such, I feel that Whisper in the Wind is going to be a very fascinating continuation to this series, and I am very curious to see how Arnold keeps his narrative going.

Due to the impressive quality of the previous novels in this series, I am definitely grabbing Whisper in the Wind when it comes out next year.  Luke Arnold has shown himself to be a particularly skilled fantasy author, and I have become a huge fan of his Fetch Phillips series as a result.  I cannot wait to see how this epic sounding book turns out and I have no doubt that Whisper in the Wind is going to be one of the more interesting fantasy novels of 2025.

Top Ten Tuesday – Books I was Assigned to Read in School

Top Ten Tuesday I s 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 are tasked with listing ten books that they were assigned to read in school, with bonus points awarded if you provide a little review or your thoughts on the book in question.  This proved to be a rather interesting topic, and it really got me thinking about the random works of fiction I read or had assigned to me during my turbulent school years.  My resulting list on the subject proved to be an eclectic mixture or classic novels and several distinctive reads that have followed me into my later reviewing/blogging career.  A such, I rather like the list below and I think it is a simultaneously fun and depressing look back at my academic past.

Top Ten List:

Daughter of the Empire by Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts

Whilst in college (year 11 in my school system) I signed up to do a fantasy fiction course which I thought sounded fun.  Unfortunately, the teacher was absolutely rubbish, but luckily there was a silver lining in that Daughter of the Empire was a required reading.  A deep and compelling fantasy book about a young woman forced to take up the reigns of leadership of her noble family, Daughter of the Empire was a brilliant read and the first book in the Empire trilogy.  As a fantasy nerd, I was very familiar with Feist, having read multiple books in his Riftwar Cycle already, but I hadn’t made the leap over to the Empire trilogy yet.  Naturally I loved this required reading and powered through Daughter of the Empire faster than anyone in the class.  I even went a step beyond and grabbed the next two books in the series, Servant of the Empire and Mistress of the Empire, that’s how much I loved it.  Daughter of the Empire remains one of my favourite fantasy books to this day (see my blog’s review for the series here), and I cannot recommend this series enough.  Literally the only good thing to come out of a terrible, semester-long class.

Amazon

 

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

A true American classic, To Kill a Mockingbird was an excellent coming-of-age story that also featured a complex tale of racial inequality in small-town America.  I read To Kill a Mockingbird as part of a pretty good general English course, and it proved fascinating and insightful to analyse this book.  We also watched the Gregory Peck film adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird in the same class, which proved to be an impressive black and white watch.  A wonderful read whose message still resonates to this day.

Amazon

 

Tomorrow series by John Marsden

A series I particularly enjoyed having to read at school was the Tomorrow series by John Marsden.  An iconic Australian young adult series that follows a group of teenagers caught up in an invasion of Australia by a foreign army, the Tomorrow books are an exceptional series with a brilliant story behind it.  I love all seven books in this excellent series, and I really got into them thanks to some required reading in high school.  I honestly read more of this series than I needed to for school purposes, and the Tomorrow series really influenced me growing up.  I remember doing some basic reviews of this book back at school, and I have since done a more detailed review of the series on my blog.  A highly recommended series that still holds up.

Amazon

 

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

Thanks to a holiday project, I read Jurassic Park during my summer break one year and it proved to be very epic.  As a fan of the film and a massive reader, even as a teenager, it honestly wasn’t a great trial for me to read Jurassic Park during my holidays, and I really got caught up in Michael Crichton’s unique science fiction thriller.  Another classic, Jurassic Park really stands on its own as a novel and I can see why a movie adaptation from it was so successful.  It is quite fascinating to see the differences between the novel and the later film, and I really liked Crichton’s original science focussed and darker story.  I honestly need to read this book again at some point, but I enjoyed reading it while younger, and it’s a book all science fiction and thriller fans should check out at some point.

Amazon

 

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

One of the more memorable novels I was assigned to read in college was the emotionally charged book, The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.  A dark and powerful read that followed the aftermath of a tragic murder, The Lovely Bones proved to be an interesting addition to my reading list while at school.  While not something I probably would have chosen to read on my own, The Lovely Bones had a distinctive and intense story behind it, that dealt with the aftermath of tragedy and regret by following the victim’s surviving family.  An outstanding book that allowed for a lot of literary analysis, The Lovely Bones is an excellent addition to this list.

Amazon

 

The Last Continent by Terry Pratchett

Required to give a presentation on a specific fantasy novel, I of course chose one of my favourite books, The Last Continent by Terry Pratchett.  A particularly hilarious Pratchett novel, set in the Discworld’s equivalent of Australia, The Last Continent proved fertile ground for an in-depth presentation, and I made sure to re-read the book in advance.  I have a lot of love for this book (see my review for it on this blog), and I’m sure that came through in my passionate presentation. 

Amazon

 

Odyssey by Homer

A particularly interesting English class studying myths and legends let to me reading the Greek epic poem Odyssey.  The stylised and distinctive tale of legendary figure Odysseus, Odyssey was a great read to get lost in as a student, and it really appealed to my love of Greek mythology.  While I remember struggling with the classic prose and language, Odyssey lived up to epic in epic poem, and I had a great time learning about it at school.

Amazon

 

Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell

As part of a decent crime fiction English course at school, we dove into the debut novel of Patricia Cornwell, Postmortem.  The first book in her long-running Kay Scarpetta series, Postmortem introduced readers to world of modern forensic fiction with this in-depth and dark murder mystery.  Postmortem proved to be a fantastic read, and my class had an excellent time examining the clever mystery it contained.  While this is another book from school that I should probably re-read at some point, I did deeply enjoy Postmortem and I recall writing a descent essay about it.

Amazon

 

The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell

One of the more entertaining recommendations/assigned readings I had during my education occurred in a hectic Post-Roman Britain archaeology course while attending university.  The professor, an occasionally funny figure, would often provide us with a list of suggested readings to help us with the course.  While most of these readings were academic books and papers, he also recommended The Last Kingdom series by Bernard Cornwell, which he believed perfectly captured the period we were studying.  I was already a fan of this series before taking on this class, but I dutifully read more The Last Kingdom books to benefit my academic career (and for no other reason).  Cornwell clearly did a ton of research on the setting for his books, and I appreciated the historical and archaeological detail he included in his story, as well as the fantastic and intense narrative that accompanied it.  While I’m slightly stretching the definition of assigned reading with this entry, I’m going to leave The Last Kingdom in, as I did technically read it after a university lecturer told me to.

Amazon

 

Animal Farm by George Orwell

The final book I want to feature on this list is the classic book, Animal Farm by George Orwell.  More suggested reading than an assigned book, I read Animal Farm in my high school library over the course of several lunchtimes and classes (I was popular at school as you can no doubt tell).  While I didn’t get all of Orwell’s clever satyr and commentary on the Soviet Union, I still found Animal Farm to be an interesting read that has stuck with me years after.  A clever and unique examination of complex history and society, Animal Farm is a classic for a reason, and I’m glad I made an effort to read it at school.

Amazon

 

That’s the end of my list.  As you can see, I had some intriguing and memorable assigned reading during my school years.  Despite often being forced to read the above, I had a great time with all these classic and distinctive books, and they are really worth checking out.  I hope you find this list interesting and make sure to let me know what books you had to read in the comments below.

Book Haul – 15 October 2024

I’ve had an excellent couple of weeks for books, as I was lucky enough to receive several incredible and amazing new novels from local 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.

The Waiting by Michael Connelly

I was very happy to receive a copy of the new Michael Connelly book, The Waiting.  Bringing together some of Connelly’s best police characters into one fantastic narrative, The Waiting should be a pretty awesome crime fiction book, and I am very eager to check it out.  I’m actually hoping to start reading it this week, and I have no doubt it is going to be one of the top books of the year.

Amazon

 

A Tide of Black Steel by Anthony Ryan

I also recently received the epic new fantasy novel from Anthony Ryan, A Tide of Black Steel.  The first book in Ryan’s The Age of Wrath trilogy, A Tide of Black Steel is a Viking-inspired tale that serves as a sequel to the author’s previous The Covenant of Steel trilogy (The PariahThe Martyr and The Traitor). I am actually reading A Tide of Black Steel at the moment, and it is proving to be a particularly awesome read that takes the reader on a great adventure.  I am hoping to finish A Tide of Black Steel off in the next day or so, and I cannot wait to see how it comes together.

Amazon

 

Nobody’s Hero by M. W. Craven

The next book I recently received was the cool thriller novel, Nobody’s Hero by M. W. Craven.  The sequel to Craven’s previous novel, Fearless, Nobody’s Hero will take Craven excessively fearless protagonist on another bloody adventure, this time to the UK.  I had a lot of fun with Fearless last year and I am looking forward to reading Nobody’s Hero, especially as Craven’s other 2024 novel, The Mercy Chair, was so damn good.

Amazon

 

How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler

One of the more interesting books I received was the fun sounding fantasy novel, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler.  Following a doomed hero who, after dying multiple times in a time loop, decides to try and win for once by becoming the evil dark lord instead.  I love the sound of How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying and I’m hoping to read it very soon.

Amazon

 

In Too Deep by Lee Child and Andrew Child

I’ve always meant to dive into the epic Jack Reacher thriller series, and it looks like I’ll have the chance this year as I received a copy of the latest book in the series, In Too Deep.  Written by original author Lee Child and his brother Andrew, In Too Deep takes the titular protagonist on another dark vigilante adventure.  I’m curious to dive into this series for the first time and I am excited to explore the author’s new thrilling story.

Amazon

 

Midnight and Blue by Ian Rankin

The final book I recently received is the latest Ian Rankin novel, Midnight and Blue.  The final Rebus novel, Midnight and Blue sees the former detective protagonist trapped in prison and forced to investigate a murder from the inside.  This sounds like quite an interesting book, and while I’m a little apprehensive about starting this series at the very end, I am hoping to give it a try in the next few weeks, and I reckon I’ll enjoy it.

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 – 9 October 2024

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme 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:

High Wire by Candice Fox (Trade Paperback)

I didn’t make as much progress with High Wire as I’d hoped this week.  The latest book from Candice Fox, High Wire is an exciting Australian thriller with some real bang behind it.  I’m hoping to devote a bit more time to High Wire in the next week and I’m looking forward to seeing where the story goes.

Amazon

A Tide of Black Steel by Anthony Ryan (Audiobook)

I’ve started listening to the amazing new fantasy novel A Tide of Black Steel by Anthony Ryan.  A sequel to Ryan’s The Covenant of Steel trilogy (The Pariah, The Martyr and The Traitor), A Tide of Black Steel is an epic read that takes some great new characters on an amazing adventure.  I am absolutely powering through A Tide of Black Steel, and I should hopefully have it finished by this time next week.

Amazon

What did you recently finish reading?

Warhammer 40,000: Lazarus: Enmity’s Edge by Gary Kloster (Audiobook)

I quickly finished off the awesome Warhammer 40,000 audiobook, Lazarus: Enmity’s Edge by Gary Kloster this week.  An impressive and epic read, I deeply enjoyed this exceptional audiobook, and I am hoping to get a review up for it soon.

Amazon

Warhammer 40,000: Double Eagle by Dan Abnett (Audiobook)

It turns out I was in a real Warhammer 40,000 mood this week as I also quickly listened to the awesome book Double Eagle by Dan Abnett.  A spin-off from Abnett’s Gaunt’s Ghosts series, Double Eagle is an exceptional novel about aerial combat that I couldn’t get enough off.  This was one of the best Warhammer novels I have ever read, and I will be reviewing it very soon.

Amazon

What do you think you’ll read next?

The Waiting by Michael Connelly

I am really hoping to read the new Michael Connelly novel The Waiting this week.  The latest book from Connelly to feature his awesome police protagonists, Renee Ballard and Harry Bosch, The Waiting will see them team up to investigate another series of intriguing cases, including an infamous cold case.  Set to be one of the best crime fiction reads of 2024, I have been really excited for The Waiting and I cannot wait to see what twisty mysteries Connelly has written this time.

Amazon

Warhammer 40,000: Dominion Genesis by Jonathan D. Beer

Finally, if I get through A Tide of Black Steel this week, I will probably start listening to one of the latest Warhammer 40,000 audiobooks, Dominion Genesis by Jonathan D. Beer.  An intriguing read that will follow a member of the Adeptus Mechanicus as they attempt to save their world from an alien invasion, I think Dominion Genesis has a lot of potential, especially as Beer really impressed me with his debut, The King of the Spoil, last year.

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 – The Medici Return by Steve Berry

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 look at an awesome upcoming thriller with the historical conspiracy laden novel, The Medici Return by Steve Berry.

Amazon

As we near 2025, I have been looking ahead to see how several long-running series I routinely enjoy are likely to continue.  One of these series are the brilliant Cotton Malone thriller books by impressive author Steve Berry.  A deeply entertaining series of spy thriller novels, the Cotton Malone books follow titular government agent, Cotton Malone, as he uncovers a continuous series of hidden conspiracies and plots that have their roots in various periods of history.  This fantastic overall theme of the Cotton Malone books has produced some excellent novels over the years, and I have had a wonderful time diving into elaborate stories loaded with historical detail, such as The Malta Exchange, The Warsaw Protocol, The Kaiser’s Web, The Last Kingdom and The Atlas Maneuver.  Each of these has been extremely fun and addictive to me, and I always eagerly await to see what unique adventure Berry will produce next.

As such, one of my most anticipated thrillers coming out in the first half of 2025 is the intriguing novel, The Medici Return.  The 19th book in the Cotton Malone series, The Medici Return will see Berry dive into yet another intriguing period of history that will result in an intense and world-altering plot.

Plot Synopsis:

Former Justice Department operative, Cotton Malone, has been asked to assist the Swiss guard with determining whether Cardinal Jason Richter has engaged in bribery and theft. It’s a favor for Stephanie Nelle, once his boss at the Magellan Billet, who is doing a favor for the Vatican. But nothing is as it seems. Four hundred thousand euros are found, a Swiss Guardsman is murdered, and a killer sets his sights on both Cotton and the cardinal.

Together they are thrust into a search for a forgotten document, a 16th century Pledge of Christ executed by Pope Julius II that reveals a debt owed by the Vatican, still valid after five centuries, now worth in the trillions of dollars. But when the trail to collecting that debt leads Cotton to the famed Medici of Florence—a family that history says died out, without heirs, centuries ago—he realizes that two more things also hang in the balance. Who will be the next prime minister of Italy, and who will become the next pope.

From a quiet hilltop village in central Germany, to the ancient city of Siena with its famed Palio horse race, and finally to the historic piazzas, churches, and crypts of Florence, Cotton Malone uncovers the answers, one by one, everything hinging on when, and if, the Medici return.

This upcoming Cotton Malone book sounds particularly awesome and intriguing, and I love the main plot revolving around an ancient Vatican debt and the potential implications if the church is forced to pay it off.  I am also very curious about the inclusion of the Medici family of Florence, and it will be interesting to see how Berry works them into the main plot.  Based on how the previous Cotton Malone books have turned out, I am expecting that Berry will do a deep dive into the history and legacy of the Medici family in The Medici Return, and I am for one am eager to learn more about them.  I also love the sound of the various locations that Berry is planning to take the reader in The Medici Return.  Berry always does an amazing job vividly describing the elaborate landscapes and historical sites that the protagonists of his books end up visiting, and I am excited to see what cool new locations will be explored in this new book.

Honestly, I was going to read The Medici Return next year no matter what, as I have really grown to enjoy Steve Berry’s Cotton Malone series.  However, the above synopsis has gotten me extra excited, and I am now deeply intrigued to see what sort of elaborate thriller adventure Berry will come up with for The Medici ReturnThe Medici Return will likely be one of the top thriller novels I enjoy in 2024, and I cannot wait to see how Berry utilises the unique history of the Medici family for his latest awesome book.