Author: The Unseen Library

The Unseen Librarian I have been reviewing since 2009. I previously reviewed for the Canberra Times. I am now a reviewer for the Canberra Weekly.

Quick Review – The Ascent by Adam Plantinga

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Quick Review, Thriller7 Comments

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (Paperback – 12 November 2024)

Series: Kurt Argento – Book One

Length: 343 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Intriguing new author Adam Plantinga presents one of the most entertaining and exciting debuts of 2024 with the outstanding and brilliantly over-the-top thriller, The Ascent.

Plot Synopsis:

Kurt Argento, an ex-Detroit street cop who can’t let injustice go—and who has the fighting skills to back up his idealism. If he sees a young girl being dragged into an alley, he’s going to rescue her and cause some damage.  When he does just that in a small corrupt Missouri town, he’s brutally beaten and thrown into a maximum-security prison.

Julie Wakefield, a grad student who happens to be the governor’s daughter, is about to take a tour of the prison. But when a malfunction in the security system releases a horde of prisoners, a fierce struggle for survival ensues.  

Argento must help a small band of staff and civilians, including Julie and her two state trooper handlers, make their way from the bottom floor to the roof to safety.  All that stands in their way are six floors of the most dangerous convicts in Missouri.  

The Ascent was a particularly awesome read that I had a fantastic time reading.  The debut novel from Adam Plantinga, a police officer who has previously written some non-fiction books on the experiences of law enforcement officials, The Ascent was a bonkers, balls-to-the-wall novel loaded with fun storytelling, intense action, and all the carnage you would ever want.

As you would imagine from a book with the very cool plot synopsis above, The Ascent was a very fast-paced novel designed to grab a reader’s attention fast and keep them hooked with the appropriate offerings of violence, extreme moments and over-the-top characters.  Plantinga delivers all that in spades as he quickly introduces his main characters for the book, with a particular focus on protagonist Kurt Argento, a damaged former cop with a hero complex who has left his home city to find himself.  Encountering injustice in small town Missouri, Argento is framed by the corrupt sheriff and sent to the Whitehall Correctional Facility, a maximum-security private prison.  Serendipitously, secondary protagonist Julie Wakefield, the governor’s daughter, arrives at Whitehall with her security detail at the same time as Argento for an educational tour.  While coincidental, this proves to be a rather impactful and effective introduction to the main characters, and I honestly found myself getting really drawn into the book at this point, as you have all information you need before things go to hell.

With the prison’s systems failing and convicts being released from their cells, Argento’s aid is reluctantly accepted by a small group of police, prison guards and other staff to help take Julie from the bottom level of the prison to the roof.  Forced to fight up one level of the prison to the next, the plot gets extremely crazy, as the protagonists encounter even worse criminals on each floor of the prison, are hunted by an assassin gunning for Argento and are forced to contend with the demons of several members of the group.  Plantinga keeps the action going hard and fast through this part of the book, and you honestly can’t turn away from the intense scenes that occur as the protagonists keep moving up.  There is a certain gritty realism to the desperation of the protagonists as they try to survive, and you become even more enthralled by the narrative as they constantly battered main characters fight higher and higher up the prison facing worse odds the entire way.  There are some intense betrayals, clever twists, and some truly dark moments as the plot continues, and you will honestly find yourself hooked right up to the brutal finale, with Plantinga featuring a satisfying conclusion that hints at more adventures to come. 

I really loved how The Ascent came together, and Plantinga wrote an impactful, hard-hitting action thriller that proved very hard to put down.  Between its compelling, if exaggerated plot, gritty action and intriguing characters, there is a lot to love about The Ascent, and I honestly got really hooked on this book as it continued, getting through the last 300 pages in one enjoyable chunk of late-night reading.  The wonderfully over-the-top story moved at such a quick-fire pace, while shoving so much cool action into the reader’s face.  Plantinga clearly knows what he’s talking about when it comes to the fights in this book, and the reader is gifted to a truly awesome and outrageous amount of violence and carnage, which only gets crazier the further in you get.  Between warring gangs, brutal ambushes, desperate battles against killers, and encounters with some truly scary and unhinged beings, the protagonists go through hell, and you honestly are left waiting to see if they will survive, especially as Plantinga throws in some dark sacrifices to keep you on your toes.  These intense inclusions work extremely well with the fantastic storytelling, and I had so much fun seeing the characters race from bloody fight to bloody fight.  I will say that this is an excessive book at times, and the descriptions of brutal violence and other darker things might not be for every reader, but for those fans of bloody thrillers or brutal action films, this is the perfect book for you to check out. 

While I have tended to highlight the action a lot in this review, I must point out that Plantinga brought together a well-written tale of survival that proves to be intense, entertaining and powerful at the same time.  The plot about moving up the levels of the prison was cleverly set out, and the actions of the characters always seem quite reasonable and realistic, especially the combination of doubt and determination that resulted from the increased conflict and catastrophe.  You could honestly feel the desperation of the characters as the book continued, and while things got quite crazy the further along you got, there was always a grain of realism to the plot, especially as the protagonists struggled more and more the further along they got.  If I had one complaint about The Ascent, it’s that they never fully explained or explored the reasons behind the issues impacting the prison, which seems like a major oversight in my opinion, although I may forgive that if it becomes a plot point in later books.  I will also say that it is very clear that The Ascent is written by a police officer, although I did think that Plantinga tried to cover the profession with some nuance, which was appreciated.

A key thing about The Ascent that I need to compliment is the excellent character work.  Kurt Argento is an outstandingly damaged protagonist going through some real grief at the loss of his wife.  Plantinga does a great job setting up his current hero complex and death wish as a consequence of this loss, and you really feel his pain as he keeps trying to do the right thing, even if it kills him.  The other main protagonist, Julie, is another well-written character, as this somewhat sheltered character learns to fight back against those coming for her as she comes face to face with the dark side of humanity.  These two characters form a great duo, and I appreciated how Plantinga played them off each other, especially towards the end of the book.  The other supporting characters in The Ascent were also well-written, and Plantinga introduces an interesting array of disparate personality types that conflict against each other in compelling ways, especially when things get particularly bad.  These excellent characters helped to evolve The Ascent above a typical action thriller, and readers will find themselves quite invested in seeing how these figures will survive as a result.

Overall, The Ascent by Adam Plantinga was an epic and highly captivating debut that I had a really, really fun time with.  Plantinga presented a true action classic guaranteed to keep your attention the entire way through, and it honestly proves hard to put The Ascent down at times.  Dark, bloody and intense in all the best ways, The Ascent was one of the most memorable debuts of 2024 and I am so damn glad I decided to check it out.  I cannot wait to read more from Plantinga, and I am already very keen to grab the sequel to The Ascent, Hard Town, which is coming out in a few months’ time.

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Quick Review – Gunnawah by Ronni Salt

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Murder Mystery, Quick Review6 Comments

Publisher: Hachette Australia (Trade Paperback – 1 January 2025)

Series: Standalone/Book One

Length: 328 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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New Australian author Ronni Salt presents a compelling new crime fiction debut with the fantastic novel Gunnawah, an intriguing and distinctive read that explores an intriguing period of rural Australian history.

Plot Synopsis:

It’s 1974 in the Riverina

The weather is hot

But the body in the Murray River is stone cold . . .

A captivating and compulsive crime thriller about guns, drugs and a young woman dead on the money

When nineteen-year-old farmgirl Adelaide Hoffman applies for a cadetship at the Gunnawah Gazette, she sees it as her ticket out of a life too small for her. The paper’s owner, Valdene Bullark, seeing something of the girl she once was in young Adelaide, puts her straight to work.

What starts as a routine assignment covering an irrigation project soon puts Adelaide on the trail of a much bigger story. Water is money in farming communities, and when Adelaide starts asking questions, it’s like she’s poked a bull ant’s nest. Someone will do whatever it takes to stop Adelaide and Val finding out how far the river of corruption and crime runs.

Shady deals. Vested interests. A labyrinth of lies. It seems everyone in Gunnawah has a secret to keep. And too many are already dead quiet.

Set deep in the heart of rural Australia during the era of Gough Whitlam, pub brawls and flared jeans, Gunnawah is a compulsive crime thriller of corruption, guns and drugs from Australian Noir’s most arresting new voice.

Gunnawah was an excellent first book from Ronni Salt that was an amazing and entertaining bit of Australian fiction to start 2025 on.  Cleverly examining the unique landscape of Australia’s Riverina area in the 1970s and diving into its controversial history, Gunnawah was a fast-paced and surprisingly complex read that blended big characters with an addictive crime fiction narrative.

The book has an interesting, if slow, start to it, as the reader is introduced to the protagonist, Adelaide Hoffman, as well as the various other memorable inhabitants of the town.  Much of the first third of Gunnawah is dedicated to building these figures up, while also hinting at the many secrets surrounding the town.  While readers don’t get a lot of excitement off the bat in Gunnawah, I felt that this slow burn start was vital to the book’s later impact, especially as Salt loads up a ton of clues and hints about the later events of the book.

Things begin to heat up when the protagonists discover that there is a darker side to their small town, especially when it becomes clear a vital new irrigation project has ties to a local drug operation, while other crimes remain hidden in the shadows.  There are some tense scenes as Adelaide, Val and their offsider Wayne begin to uncover what’s really going on around Gunnawah.  However, it is the last third of the book that really ensures Gunnawah sticks in the mind.  Starting off with a big event that is reminiscent of a particularly infamous Australian crime, the protagonists are soon thrust into greater danger and are forced to fight back like the battling Australian farmers they are.  There are some awesome scenes here, especially as damaged protagonist Adelaide shows how badass she is, and I liked some of the satisfying conclusions that occur to the main story.  Salt also cleverly ties up some other intriguing mysteries that have been running alongside the central plot, and I liked the solutions that emerged, especially as the resulting reveals were well built up in the earlier parts of the book.  Readers come away very satisfied with how Salt concludes Gunnawah, and there is some potential to continue this book as a series if the author wants to.

Salt pulls together an intriguing book for her debut that blends a fantastic crime fiction read with some cool historical inclusions and a subtle web of humour that proves hard to get away from.  Featuring a mass of interesting perspective characters, Gunnawah’s plot revolves around finding out all their relevant secrets and working together the storylines of the various big personalities in the town.  These multiple perspectives help to create a complex and layered narrative, and they often backup the fantastic central characters of Adelaide and Val.  The author builds up some excellent character development and human moments throughout Gunnawah, especially as there are some complex and damaged protagonists featured throughout.  For example, Adelaide comes into the narrative traumatised by a previous incident that is expanded on as the book continues, and it was great to see her regain her confidence as Gunnawah continues.

The rest of the characters in the novel are an excellent combination of outrageous small-town folk, and a lot of Gunnawah’s humour is built from the fantastically funny interactions between these entertaining figures.  For example, Val and Wayne, long-time friends who have history with the seedier side of Sydney before coming to small-town Gunnawah, prove to be a highly entertaining duo, and I enjoyed how they took events into their own hands, especially when it comes to protecting Adelaide.  Other great humorous figures include the ambitious, if slightly hapless, mayor of Gunnawah and his social-climbing wife, whose antics in face of the serious crimes going on around town prove to be a lot of fun.  These figures, as well as a range of other great exaggerated small-town folk in Gunnawah, add a lot to how entertaining Gunnawah proved to be, and I am curious to see if Salt will revisit them in any future books.

Another amazing aspect of Gunnawah that I really enjoyed was the fantastic historical background surrounding the main setting of the plot.  Salt did a great job emulating a Riverina town for this book, and you really got the sense of a small Australian town in the 1970s, with the mixture of farmers, local politics and other country folk.  Small towns always work well in Australian crime fiction, especially as readers love to see antics out in the bush, and Salt makes her story stand out by tying the narrative into real-life crime aspects of 1970s Australia.  In particular, the narrative features representatives of a criminal organisation active during the period, and one of the major events of the books is highly reminiscent of the Donald Mackay incident.  The author also includes a lot of references to larger events occurring around Australia during the period, especially rampant police corruption in New South Wales, as well as a focus on Australian politics.  I personally enjoyed seeing the references to the Gough Whitlam era, and Salt actually includes a visit from Whitlam to Gunnawah as part of the plot, which proves to be quite a fun scene, especially when two of the book’s more entertaining personalities become involved.  These intriguing historical inclusions give Gunnawah some real authenticity, especially if you are familiar with how bad things got in the Riverina area during the period, and I appreciated how Salt worked it into her narrative.

Ronni Salt comes out of the gate swinging with her first novel as Gunnawah proves to be an outstanding and compelling piece of Australian fiction.  An amazing debut to start 2025 on, Gunnawah featured a great blend of crime fiction and historical inclusions to create a gripping and entertaining read.  I had an awesome time reading Gunnawah, and I look forward to seeing what Salt writes next.

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Waiting on Wednesday – Tyrant by Conn Iggulden

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Historical Fiction, Waiting on Wednesday5 Comments

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 latest Waiting on Wednesday, I look at Tyrant, the new novel from acclaimed historical fiction author, Conn Iggulden, which continues to follow the dark rise of Emperor Nero.

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2025 is shaping up to be a great year for historical fiction, and one of the books that I am looking forward to the most is the next fun novel from awesome author Conn Iggulden, Tyrant.  Iggulden is an outstanding author who has produced some amazing and complex historical reads throughout his career.  This includes his epic Emperor series, which covered the complete life of Julius Caesar, as the Conqueror series that was set around Genghis Khan, and the outstanding War of the Roses books.  I also have had a lot of fun reading and reviewing some of his more recent books, including The Falcon of Sparta and his Athenian series, made up of The Gates of Athens and Protector.

The historical fiction fun continued last year as Iggulden started off a cool new series that revolved around the life of the infamous Emperor Nero.  This first book, Nero, was set around the birth and early childhood of the titular future emperor, and examined how his mother, the manipulative Agrippina, outlasted her husband and survived the dark attention of her crazed brother Caligula, all while scheming to enhance her position and ensure her son becomes emperor.  Nero proved to be a highly captivating read that provided both excitement and a fascinating look at the tumultuous events leading up to Nero’s adoption.  I had a great time with this latest Iggulden novel, and I have been keen to see how the author would follow it up.

Well, it looks like I will be able to explore more of Nero’s contentious life in a few months’ time as a sequel to Nero is coming out in May 2025.  This sequel, Tyrant, will continue to follow the early life of Nero, this time focusing on his time as Emperor Claudius’ adopted son and his mother’s twisted attempts to remove his new brother and current heir to the throne.  This should be another amazing book filled with cool historical detail, deadly intrigue and complex figures fighting for power, which should result in an epic and memorable narrative.  I have no doubt Tyrant will be one of the better historical fiction reads of 2025 and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.

Plot Synopsis:

The latest gripping instalment in the bestselling Nero trilogy follows empress Agrippina’s ceaseless pursuit of absolute power for her son to rule over the Roman Empire

Ancient Rome, AD 50

The boy Nero lives. His mother Agrippina has married her way to power, tangling the Emperor Claudius in her skirts.

The emperor may have a son and heir of his own, but Agrippina sees no obstacles to her ambition.

Rome is a path through a marsh, lit by torches. Those who walk it are always one step from disaster – and the road itself is treacherous, slippery with blood.

Claudius may have the world at his feet, but he has Agrippina in his bed.

WWW Wednesday – 15 January 2025

On By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW WednesdayLeave a comment

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 Ascent by Adam Plantinga (Paperback)

I’ve started reading the awesome thriller The Ascent by Adam Plantinga this week.  One of the more exciting debuts of 2024, The Ascent has been on my to-read list for a while, due to its fun plot about a former cop forced to fight his way out of a rioting prison.  I’ve made a bit of progress on The Ascent so far and it is proving to be an intense and compelling book.  I am hoping to finish The Ascent off in the next few days, and I look forward to seeing what craziness happens as I get through it.

Amazon

 

Four Ruined Realms by Mai Corland (Audiobook)

I am still enjoying the 2025 fantasy novel, Four Ruined Realms by Mai Corland this week.  The sequel to the awesome Five Broken Blades, Four Ruined Realms sees a group of deadly killers and rogues once again try to work together to pull off an impossible mission.  Loaded with action, fun characters, and some entertaining tension, Four Ruined Realms is proving to be a very worthy sequel to Five Broken Blades, and I am currently halfway through it.  I should knock it off in the next week and I cannot wait to see what cool twists or devilish reveals Corland has in store for us.

Amazon

What did you recently finish reading?

Gunnawah by Ronni Salt (Trade Paperback)

A thrilling 2025 Australian debut novel, Gunnawah by Ronni Salt was an intriguing crime fiction read that I was glad I got the chance to check out.  Review to follow soon.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Death on the Tiber by Lindsey Davis

Death on the Tiber Cover

While I have a few potential books to read next, I am hoping to finally dive into the 2024 Lindsey Davis novel, Death on the Tiber.  The latest book in Davis’ long-running Flavia Albia historical murder mystery series, Death on the Tiber will see the series’ protagonist investigate another complex murder in ancient Rome, this time while dealing with demons from her past.  I really love this amazing series, and I really regret not reading Death on the Tiber sooner.

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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 – Books I Meant to Read in 2024 but Didn’t Get To

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List9 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers creating and sharing lists on various book topics.  For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, participants were required to list their bookish goals for 2025.  While this is an interesting topic, I am instead going to continue my recent trend of end of year and examining the best books released in 2024.  As such I will be listening the top books I meant to read in 2024 but that I didn’t get a chance to.

2024 was a pretty awesome year for books and I had such an outstanding time getting through a solid collection of books from new-to-me authors, exciting sequels and fun older novels, most of which were fun and impressive reads.  However, no matter how hard one tries there are always a couple of books each year that you don’t get the chance to read, either due to time constraints, lack of access or being too overwhelmed with other reads.  As a result, this is a list loaded with regret as each book I mention below is one that I really wish I had taken the time to explore.

To complete this list, I pulled together some of the more interesting and compelling novels that I didn’t get a chance to read in 2024.  Each entry was released last year and while knew that they were coming out I did not get a chance to read any of them.  In many cases I have these books sitting on my shelf, silently and constantly judging me, and I will have to try and read them to stop their bookish glares.  I was eventually able to cull my list of regret down to 10 entries with an honourable mentions section.  This list is an interesting collection of books from across the genres and include several major 2024 releases I did not get the chance to look at.

Honourable Mention:

Off Midway Station by Marc Alan Edelheit

An intriguing science fiction release that I’m still hoping to get around to exploring.

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Burn Out by Joshua Hood

An exciting thriller about a smoke jumper forced to work for the CIA that I really wanted to check out.  This book sounded awesome and I’m sorry to have missed it.

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In Too Deep by Lee Child and Andrew Child

I’m still haven’t had the chance to read a Jack Reacher novel yet, although last year’s entry, In Too Deep, is high up on my to-read list.

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How to Solve Your Own Murder by Bristen Perrin

One of the top debut mysteries of 2024, I’m still thinking about checking How to Solve Your Own Murder out, especially as there is a sequel coming out soon.

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Top Ten List:

The Sky on Fire by Jenn Lyons

An awesome sounding book about a dangerous heist involving dragons and magic.  I really enjoyed the sound of the synopsis for The Sky on Fire last year, but I unfortunately couldn’t fit it into my reading schedule.  I still have a copy and I’m hoping to get around to checking this book out at some point this year, especially as I really want to finally read something from Lyons.

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Death on the Tiber by Lindsey Davis

One of the books I most regret not reading in 2024 was the new Lindsey Davis novel, Death on the Tiber.  The latest entry in one of my favourite historical fiction series, I fully intended to read Death on the Tiber last year, but I never had the time to pick it up.  Featuring a cool new mystery in ancient Rome, Death on the Tiber sounded like a key book in the series and I’m interested to see what happens next.  I honestly might make the effort to read Death on the Tiber in the next week or so, especially as Davis has another book coming out in April that I’m also keen to read.

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Star Wars: Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss by Steven Barnes

I didn’t get through nearly as much Star Wars fiction in 2024 as I would have liked, especially as there were a couple of very cool new entries in the franchise out last year.  This includes the Mace Windu novel, The Glass Abyss by Steven Barnes.  Thanks to its intriguing plot, The Glass Abyss was very high on my to-read list, and I thought it had a lot of potential. I’m still hoping to listen to The Glass Abyss on audiobook in the coming months, and I have no doubt I will have a great time with it.

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Saturation Point by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Adrian Tchaikovsky had a massive year in 2024, releasing four separate awesome books.  As a recently converted fan of Tchaikovsky, I tried to check out all of them, but only got through two, Alien Clay and Service Model (one of my favourite books of 2024).  The main Tchaikovsky book I missed was Saturation Point, which featured an intriguing science fiction story that explores a new, extra-deadly jungle growing at the equator.  I am hoping to listen to the audiobook version of Saturation Point sometime this year, especially as it has a relatively short run time, and I look forward to seeing how it turns out.  In the meantime, I am also hoping to read Tchaikovsky’s latest novel, Days of Shattered Faith, which, while it technically came out last year, I’m probably going to consider a 2025 release going forward due to the differences in release dates for Australia.

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The Chamber by Will Dean

One of the more unique novels I missed out on in 2024 was The Chamber by Will Dean.  This excellent book sees a murder occur underwater hyperbaric chamber, then forces the remaining divers to try and uncover the killer while they wait for decompression to occur.  This was such a cool sounding plot, and I am still hoping to explore The Chamber soon, mainly because I am so damn curious about how this narrative would unfold.

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Good Boys by Jeremy Robinson

Jeremy Robinson is another author on this list who released multiple books in 2024.  While I did enjoy his compelling and freaky novel Point Nemo, I missed out on reading his two Good Boys novels (The Lost Tribe and Unleashed) that came out towards the end of the year.  These books follow an interesting alien encounter tale that only an author as unique as Robinson could imagine.  I have been trying to read more of Robinson’s novels in recent years so I might try and listen to the Good Boys audiobooks soon, especially as they sound very exciting and will no doubt contain the author’s fun humour.

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The First Murder on Mars by Sam Wilson

An intriguing science fiction thriller about the first murder on Mars.  This debut novel from Sam Wilson caught my eye earlier this year and I had really hoped to check it out.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t never make enough time, which I very much regret as this sounded like a great book. 

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The Out-of-Town Lawyer by Robert Rotstein

I love a good legal thriller, which is why I was annoyed with myself for not reading Robert Rotstein’s distinctive novel, The Out-of-Town Lawyer.  Focussing on a nomadic lawyer who takes on tough case, The Out-of-Town Lawyer would see the protagonist return to his hometown to defend a controversial killer from a prejudice legal system.  I felt that The Out-of-Town Lawyer had a lot of potential, and I am even more keen to read it now after having just re-read the compelling synopsis.

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Star Wars: The Living Force by John Jackson Miller

Another Star Wars book I hoped to read in 2024 was The Living Force by the always impressive John Jackson Miller.  Focussing on the Jedi Council in the lead up to The Phantom Menace, The Living Force sounded like an interesting and lore-heavy book that would have focussed on a cool group of supporting characters from the prequel films.  I know that Miller would have provided a captivating dive into these figures, and I am sure that I will have a great time with The Living Force’s audiobook if I get a chance to listen to it this year.

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Danube Legion by Laurence Read

The final book I needed to feature on this list was the fascinating sounding historical fiction novel, Danube Legion.  A fantastic Roman history novel, Danube Legion caught my eye because the plot promised to explore the logistics behind the deployment of a Roman Legion, which is something you don’t see a lot of in other historical fiction books.  I honestly found this plot idea to be very awesome, and I really wish that I could have fit Danube Legion into my reading schedule last year.  This is another one I am hoping to check out this year as well, as it sounds like quite a cracking read with a great plot behind it.

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Well, that is the end of my latest list and it looks like I have a lot catch-up reading to do if I am going to make a dent in it.  There are some truly amazing-sounding novels on this list, and I fully intend to get through all of them at some point, although with all the outstanding books coming out in 2025, it might take me a little time.  In the meantime, let me know what books you most regret not reading in 2024 in the comments below.

Quick Review – The Recruiter by Gregg Podolski

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Quick Review, Thriller2 Comments

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing (ebook – 23 July 2024)

Series: Rick Carter – Book One

Length: 327 pages

My Rating: 4.25 out of 5 pages

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I read a bunch of fun debuts in 2024, but one of my favourites was the awesome and action-packed thriller from Gregg Podolski, The Recruiter.  Following an entertaining protagonist as he faces the mistakes of his past, as well as a crew of ruthless assassins he personally recruited, this was a fantastic first novel from Podolski that I honestly had a ton of fun with.


Plot Synopsis:

When bad guys need good help, they call Rick Carter.

He’s a criminal recruiter, searching for contract killers, cyber hackers, gun smugglers, and any other assorted villains-for-hire a European crime boss might need. But, when the family he left behind in New Jersey is caught up in a client’s plot to monopolize the black market, Rick has to save them from two of his own top candidates: deadly assassins known only as Ghost and The Persian.

Fixing his own mess will require a set of skills he doesn’t have—not a problem, as finding qualified help is where he excels. But stepping into action, becoming the hero his family needs, that’s new territory. For a man who’s spent the last ten years being the best at helping the worst, this may be his last chance to do something right.


I really liked the central plot idea that Podolski came up with for The Recruiter, as his protagonist, rather than being an extreme action-orientated hero, is someone who took their corporate recruiter job to the next level and started working with criminals in the same capacity.  This was an interesting change of pace which I think worked well, especially when combined with a sinister conspiracy and threats close to the protagonist’s home.

Podolski starts The Recruiter off hot and fast as you are quickly introduced to the protagonist, Rick Carter, and the recruitment business he has built up.  The story takes an interesting turn when Rick is kidnapped and forced to work for a shadowy organisation that wants him to pull together a team of killers to take out several law enforcement officers across the world.  Reluctantly agreeing to work with them, Rick is soon forced to turn against his new employers when he discovers that one of their targets is connected to his own family who Rick abandoned years before.  Suddenly finding his two top recruits working against him, Rick is forced to pull together an unlikely last-minute team to accompany him back to America to save his family and work out who is trying to kill them.

The Recruiter’s resulting story is the awesome and captivating action thrill ride you would expect with that sort of set-up.  Podolski keeps things moving fast, and there is always something awesome or interesting on the page as the protagonist attempts to keep his family safe while trying to determine why they are being targeted.  There are some excellent betrayals, compelling twists and big action moments as the plot proceeds, and I had a fun time seeing the protagonist’s unique plans in action.  Podolski does a good job balancing this excitement with some moving character moments as the protagonist reunites with the wife and kids he left behind, and the resulting heartfelt sequences add a fantastic emotional edge to the entire book.  The author ends The Recruiter on an excellent note that keeps the reader strongly engaged right up to the end and finishes with some thrilling confrontations with the protagonist’s former assassins.  There is also a fun reveal that, while not entirely unexpected, was interesting, especially as it indicates Podolski has plans to continue the series in the future.

You can tell that Podolski had a great time writing this novel, and I personally loved the awesome story and exciting writing style, which made The Recruiter very easy to read and power through.  I especially enjoyed the fantastic characters, as the author introduced several compelling and memorable figures throughout the plot.  The main one naturally was protagonist and point-of-view character Rick Carter, who serves as an awesome central figure for the story.  While I do think that Podolski occasionally made Rick a little too zany, for the most part he was a great sarcastic protagonist that thriller fans will appreciate.  Thanks to his skillset as a recruiter rather than an operator, Rick stands out compared to your typical thriller protagonist, and there are some entertaining sequences where he uses his talent for networking and other corporate skills to defeat his opponents.  There is also the great emotional element to Rick’s story as he deals with his own guilt at abandoning his family, and it proved captivating to see how he reflects and moves forward through it.  Other great characters include a rookie operative recruit that Rick hires who proves to be both a real badass and a potential love interest, Rick’s former ace assassins who more than live up to their reputation, as well as a great overarching antagonist who steals the early scenes they are in and remain a threatening presence throughout the entire plot.

I had an absolute blast with The Recruiter, and it ended up being an outstanding debut from this first-time author.  An exciting and compelling character-driven read, The Recruiter was a book that was very easy to have fun with, and I am very glad I decided to check it out.  I look forward to seeing if Gregg Podolski will continue this series in the future, and I know that I will be grabbing the sequel when it comes out.

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WWW Wednesday – 8 January 2025

On By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW WednesdayLeave a comment

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:

Gunnawah by Ronni Salt (Trade Paperback)

I finally got the chance to start reading the thrilling 2025 Australian debut novel, Gunnawah by Ronni Salt. An intriguing crime fiction read, Gunnawah provides a compelling and unique look at a turbulent region of Australia during the 1970s through the eyes of some entertaining characters. I am currently about halfway through Gunnawah at the moment and I am hoping to finish it off in the next couple of days.

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Four Ruined Realms by Mai Corland (Audiobook)

I just started listening to the awesome 2025 fantasy novel, Four Ruined Realms by Mai Corland.  The sequel to the awesome Five Broken Blades, Four Ruined Realms sees a group of deadly killers and rogues once again try to work together to pull off an impossible mission.  Loaded with action, fun characters, and some entertaining tension, Four Ruined Realms is proving to be a very worthy sequel to Five Broken Blades, and I have made a fair bit of progress on it so far.

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What did you recently finish reading?

The Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso (Trade Paperback)

I managed to finish off the new Melissa Caruso novel, The Last Hour Between Worlds, this week. An amazing fantasy thriller, The Last Hour Between Worlds so much fun to read, and I got so caught up in its unique plot.  Highly recommended!

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Warhammer 40,000: Titanicus by Dan Abnett (Audiobook)

I absolutely powered through the classic Warhammer 40,000 audiobook Titanicus, this week. Set in author Dan Abnett’s iconic Sabbat Worlds Crusade overarching series (which also features the Gaunt’s Ghosts books and Double Eagle), Titanicus explores a war in the Warhammer 40,000 universe fought primarily with giant Titan war machines. An overall exceptional book that is a must read for all Warhammer fans; I am hoping to get a review up for this one soon.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

The Ascent by Adam Plantinga

In the next week I am hoping to quickly read the awesome sounding thriller The Ascent by Adam Plantinga.  One of the more exciting sounding debuts of 2024, The Ascent has been on my to-read list for a while, and I look forward to seeing how this fantastic book unfolds.

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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.

Waiting on Wednesday – Our Lady of Blades by Sebastien de Castell

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday9 Comments

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 post, I look ahead to the end of this year and focus on an outstanding upcoming fantasy novel that will likely be one of the top books of 2025 with Our Lady of Blades by Sebastien de Castell.

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I just put to bed two posts covering my most anticipated upcoming books for the first half of 2025, including one for fantasy and science fiction books, and another list covering thrillers, crime fiction, historical fiction and more.  As such, I am keen to go beyond the first half of 2025 with this post, which is why I am looking ahead to November 2025 and the release of a cool new entry in a series I really grew to love last year.  This book is Our Lady of Blades by veteran fantasy author Sebastien de Castell, which will serve as the second book in the Court of Shadows series.

Back in early 2024, I was lucky enough to receive a copy of de Castell’s new book, Play of Shadows.  While I loved the sound of Play of Shadows’ cool plot, I was initially hesitant to read it, mainly because I was unfamiliar with the author’s Greatcoat universe, of which this book was a part of.  However, due to how fun it sounded, and because I really enjoyed de Castell’s book The Malevolent Seven, I decided to give Play of Shadows a try and boy was I glad that I did.  Featuring an epic and really clever narrative about a theatre actor in a troubled fantasy city in the realm of Tristia, who suddenly manifest the ability to summon the spirits of the dead while on stage, de Castell wove together a really compelling and intense narrative, especially when the protagonist’s new ability summons the spirit of his city’s most hated historical villain who brings new revelations about the city’s past and the dark powers trying to control it.  I really loved this fantastic book, and de Castell featured an epic blend of humour, fun fantasy elements and a gripping tale of intrigue and mystery, that effortlessly grabbed my attention and refused to let go.  Play of Shadows was a five-star read that ended up being one of my favourite books of 2024, and it also led me to read another amazing book in the same series with Crucible of Chaos.

Crucible of Chaos was another exceptional novel that was released shortly before Play of Shadows and serves as a loosely connected prequel to it.  Following an unlikely member of the legendary Greatcoats, Tristia’s royal guards and travelling magistrates and duellists, as he investigates a murder in an important monastery, Crucible of Chaos was a gripping read with some great humour and an excellent whodunnit edge to it.  Featuring its own exceptional story that ties the Court of Shadows series into the larger Greatcoat universe, while also hinting at the larger conspiracy featured in Play of Shadows, Crucible of Chaos was another incredible five-star read that I ended up listing as one of my favourite audiobooks of 2024, and I deeply enjoyed its larger-than-life protagonist and brilliant story.

As you can no doubt tell from the above two paragraphs, I got hooked on the Court of Shadows books last year, and I am naturally keen to see how the series continues.  As such, the second official entry in the series, Our Lady of Blades, is very high on my to-read list, and I am eagerly looking forward to grabbing it in November.  Featuring another standalone narrative, Our Lady of Blades will follow a new protagonist as they become embroiled in fresh conspiracies with a similar source as those featured in the previous novels.


Plot Synopsis:

Blood Week may have been banned in Rijou, but the streets still run red – and now murder is being sanctioned by the courts. Only a reckless fool would believe they can beat the system. But then, the Greatcoats have always been more than a little reckless . . .

Rijou’s notorious Court of Blades is as corrupt as it is cutthroat, destroying lives with impunity. Now the city’s all-powerful Ascendant Houses have started buying and selling verdicts to enslave and even execute those who oppose them.

Into this depraved world of licensed death comes a mysterious duellist who dares to foil the intrigues of the city’s elite. They call her Lady Consequence, but years ago she had a different name, until her family was slaughtered and she was consigned to the hellish prison known as the House of Tears.

Lady Consequence means to rescue her idealistic younger brother, restore their House and wreak vengeance upon those who betrayed them. But a far more dangerous game is unfolding in the shadows, one which threatens the freedom of the entire nation.


I am very, very excited about the above plot synopsis, and it seems like we are going to be in for an exceptional time with Our Lady of Blades later this year.  De Castell is setting up a very fun, revenge-focussed narrative in this second Court of Shadows book, and I am getting some cool The Count of Monte Cristo vibes from this plot as the protagonist returns in disguise to get revenge and rebuild her house.  It should prove to be quite compelling and fun to follow Lady Consequence (which is an awesome alias btw), as she fights back against those who wronged her, utilising her skills with the sword and her mysterious past.  I imagine that de Castell will load this story with intrigue, adventure and a ton of fun swordplay, while also diving into the no-doubt troubled history of the protagonist to give the book a more powerful dramatic edge.  Throw in a cool new background setting, as the protagonist fights against the corruption of the city of Rijou, and this story sounds so damn epic and exciting.

In addition to its own cool story, I am also very keen to see how Our Lady of Blades tie into the larger Court of Shadows series.  Crucible of Chaos and Play of Shadows both worked well as standalone novels, with the underlying conspiracy of the series only coming to light towards the end of the plot.  I am anticipating that de Castell will examine the shadowy players attempting to destabilise Tristia in a bit more detail in Our Lady of Blades, and it wouldn’t surprise me if we encounter the main antagonist of the series.  I am also expecting that some of the protagonists of the previous books could show up here, as well as some cameo appearances from the wider Greatcoats universe, which should result in a very fun read, especially for established de Castell fans.

I think it is very clear that I am extremely excited to read Our Lady of Blades later this year.  Thanks to how awesome the first two books in Sebastien de Castell’s Court of Shadows series turned out to be, I am extremely confident that I am going to love Our Lady of Blades, and the awesome sounding plot synopsis above only seems to reinforce this.  I honestly believe that Our Lady of Blades will end up being one of the top fantasy books of 2025, and I cannot wait to continue de Castell’s exceptional Court of Shadows series later this year.

Quick Review – Rebellion by Richard Cullen

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Historical Fiction8 Comments

Publisher: Boldwood Books (ebook – 26 October 2024)

Series: Chronicles of the Black Lion – Book One

Length: 290 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Prepare for an exciting and compelling historical adventure from excellent author Richard Cullen with the amazing read Rebellion.

Back in 2024 I was lucky to receive a copy of the awesome historical fiction novel Rebellion by Richard Cullen.  Cullen, who entered the historical fiction genre a couple of years ago with his Wolf of Kings series, may be better known to some readers as fantasy author Richard S. Ford, who has written several compelling series over the year, including The Age of Uprising series (check out my review for the first book in that series, Engines of Empire).  His latest release, Rebellion, is the first book in his Chronicles of the Black Lion series, that takes readers back to the early 13th century and deadly rebellions against the crown.

Plot Synopsis:

1213AD.

King Richard the Lionheart is dead, and his brother, John Lackland, sits uneasily upon the throne of England.

Across the sea, Prince Louis, heir to the powerful King Philip Augustus of France, looks to King John’s crown with a covetous eye.

But King John must be wary of rebellion, as well as invasion, for even his own barons would see their king unseated, and the French pretender put in his place.

Thrust amid this tumult is young Estienne Wace, orphan squire to Earl William Marshal – the greatest knight to ever serve the kings of England, and one of the few men who still holds faith in King John’s rule.

Raised by Marshal as his ward, Estienne must prove himself worthy of his adopted father’s name, but acceptance may be the least of his troubles. War is looming, as usurpers emerge from every quarter, determined to steal England’s crown from its most wretched king.

Rebellion was an outstanding novel that successfully wrapped around a character-driven tale of adventure and honour with a compelling historical background to form a fantastic and exciting read.  Told primarily from the perspective of Estienne Wace, new squire to legendary knight, lord, and royal regent Wiliam Marshal, you see the chaotic events that defined the last few years of King John’s reign, including the First Barons’ War, in compelling detail.  For the most part Cullen tells a classic historical coming of age/adventure tale around Estienne, as the young man first learns the ropes of being a squire, and then the reader follows him through several major battles and historical events, either as a fighting participant or a curious observer.  This allows for quite a bit of action and excitement, and the young protagonist soon learns the true horrors of war as he grows closer to the Marshal family.

This proves to be a fascinating and very intense historical narrative, and the author enthrals the reader with a great combination of fascinating historical detail, a ton of cool action, and some compelling character work as he features an intriguing mixture of new characters and many established historical figures.  I found this combination to work extremely well, and it proved interesting to follow the protagonist as he witnessed the turbulent history of the period and the dark conflicts it birthed.  The action flies thick and fast as the story continues, and I loved the awesome array of detailed sequences that emerged, including a lengthy and desperate siege.  The author also makes excellent use of some great alternate points of view as the story continues, including a jealous rival to the protagonist, and you are gifted with a compelling and highly intense look at the battles and politics unfolding.  While for the most part the main storyline around Estienne is typical historical fiction fare, Cullen throws in some interesting, if not entirely unsurprising, reveals at the end which should lead to some interesting developments in the future.  All this helped to produce a very cool story, and its one that I had a hard time putting down at times.

While I love all the above inclusions, my favourite part of Rebellion was the excellent historical details that Cullen worked his cool narrative around, especially as the author has clearly done his research on the subject.  It helped that Cullen chose to set his story around a truly fascinating period of English history that hasn’t been too over-utilised in other pieces of historical fiction.  As such, readers are gifted with deeply compelling look at the later years of King John’s reign as he lost land and refused to abide by the Magna Carter, and the resulting war that emerged as his various lords rebelled and tried to crown Prince Louise of France as King.  Cullen expertly places Estienne in the middle of many of the key events of this period, and through his eyes you get the full picture of the events that led up the war, as well as how it unfolded.  I honestly found this to be extremely fascinating, mainly because this war is often overshadowed by other events in English history, and you don’t see it utilised too often in modern fiction.  It was pretty damn interesting to see just how close England came to being ruled by a French king, and I honestly didn’t know that the French landed an army in England during this period, nor that Dover was besieged, and it was extremely cool to see it all unfold throughout the plot of Rebellion.

I personally also enjoyed how much Cullen focused on the awesome historical figure of William Marshal in this book, including examining the role that he played in stopping the war and saving England.  Marshal, a legendary knight who served several kings, is shown as an older man torn between duty and family, as he tries to save the cruel King John while his son chooses to support the rebelling barons.  I have always loved the history surrounding William Marshal and Cullen does a beautiful job bringing this aging example of knightly duty and honour to life and showcasing the complex roles he tried to balance for the sake of England.  This portrayal of Willaim Marshal, and indeed all the historical detail in the book, helps to make Rebellion a particularly captivating historical read, and I really appreciated how Cullen worked it all into the story.

Overall Rebellion was an awesome, fascinating and deeply addictive historical fiction novel that I could not get enough of.  Richard Cullen did a brilliant job of bringing this historical adventure together, and I had a wonderful time with the cool action and compelling history contained within it.  This is a very fun and exciting read that this very easy to get hooked on, and I ended up having an outstanding time with Rebellion.  Indeed, I enjoyed it so much that I have already grabbed an early copy of the sequel, Crusade, and I am hoping to read it soon.

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