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.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  In this latest Waiting on Wednesday post, I highlight a particularly awesome science fiction thriller coming out later this year that I am very excited for, Darkside by Michael Mammay.

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The second half of 2024 is looking particularly awesome, as there are a ton of outstanding books coming out before December.  While I have my eye on quite a few fantasy and science fiction novels in this period, one that has especially caught my eye is the outstanding sounding novel, Darkside by Michael Mammay, which will bring me back to the author’s epic and impressive Planetside series.

The Planetside series is an excellent science fiction series that features high-stakes military thriller storylines in the far future.  I have been a big fan of this series since the beginning, when, by chance, I chose to listen to the first book in the series, Planetside.  Mammay’s debut novel, Planetside was an outstanding book that saw a retired military colonel, Carl Butler, sent to an alien planet to find a missing officer.  However, he soon finds himself involved in an elaborate conspiracy as alien forces and members of his own side try to stop him.  I had an awesome time with Planetside and it ended up being one of my favourite books of 2018, especially as Mammay ended everything with a pretty epic final twist.

Mammay followed up Planetside the next year with the fantastic thriller Spaceside, that saw the protagonist deal with the many consequences of his previous adventure, and which also ended on a bang.  This was another amazing read and Spaceside ended up being one of my favourite books of 2019.  The exciting series continued in 2021 with Colonyside as Butler was once again dragged into a dangerous conspiracy on a planet, this time involving a corrupt company and dangerous alien fauna.  An outstanding novel that had me on edge the entire time, Colonyside was a pretty awesome book, and unsurprisingly was one of my favourite novels and audiobooks of 2021.

While I haven’t been able to make time to check out some of Mammay’s other intriguing science fiction novels, the Planetside series is something that I will not be able to ignore, so I was very excited when I found out that Mammay was releasing a fourth book, Darkside, later this year.  Set for release in September, Darkside will see the return of the Butler as he is forced into another elaborate adventure, this time on a moon where everyone wants to kill him.

Plot Synopsis:

In this thrilling, action-packed fourth installment in the Planetside series from acclaimed science fiction author Michael Mammay, retired Colonel Carl Butler gears up for another military investigation, full of danger, corporate intrigue, and tech people would kill for—perfect for fans of John Scalzi and Craig Alanson.

Landing on Taug with his right-hand man Mac, computer genius Ganos, and an elite security squad, Butler soon finds that they’ve charged back into the crosshairs—because Ramiro is not the only who has disappeared, and the perpetual darkside of this moon is hiding more than the truth about a missing archaeologist…

Now this is going to be good.  Mammay has built up quite an interesting narrative around Butler during the first three books in the series, and this fourth entry, Darkside, will make great use of them.  While forcing Butler, who by this point is one of the most infamous and controversial figures in the galaxy, into yet another sinister investigation is par for the course in this series, I am very much looking forward to seeing how this plays out.  Not only will we have a cool new environment, a mysterious moon with alien archaeology, but we will see Butler have to contend with multiple old enemies in the form of two companies he has crossed paths with before.

As such, I see Darkside playing out as a very elaborate mystery thriller as Butler tries to figure out which of his enemies are behind this new plot, while both companies try to kill them.  Watching the direct old soldier go up against intrigue, politics and dangerous schemes is going to be a ton of fun, and I cannot wait to see what elaborate story emerges, especially as these conspiracies are never simple.  I am also intrigued to see how Butler has evolved since his last adventure, especially as every time he’s in action, he seems to do something utterly destructive.  This reputation is a bit of a double-edged sword for the protagonist, and I am sure it will come into play in some interesting ways, especially if his opponents seek to exploit it again.  There are so many other cool elements that could come into play here, and I have no doubt this is going to be epic.

Honestly, there is no way that I am missing Darkside later this year when it comes out.  I am way too invested in the Planetside series by Michael Mammay and I am very intrigued to see how it continues, especially as the protagonist is still dealing with the fallout of his previous adventures.  I have no doubt whatsoever that Darkside is going to be an impressive and outstanding read, and it will probably end up being one of my top books of the year.  I am already in love with the cover and I cannot wait to see how this novel unfolds.  At this point I am planning to check out Darkside on audiobook, mainly because it will likely feature the narration of the always epic R. C. Bray, and I know that will make this amazing novel that much better.