Waiting on Wednesday – Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson

On June 13, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Comedy/Satire, Murder Mystery, Waiting on Wednesday7 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. 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. For this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight one of my most anticipated Australian novels of 2024, with the hilarious upcoming crime fiction read, Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson.

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret Cover 1

Over the last few years, one of the most consistently impressive and enjoyable Australian authors has been crime fiction author Benjamin Stevenson. A former comedian (alongside his brother), Stevenson dove into the world of crime fiction with his exciting debut Greenlight (also released as Trust Me When I Lie and She Lies in the Vines), which proved to be a gripping and enjoyable read. Stevenson followed this up in 2020 with his second novel, Either Side of Midnight, which proved to be an excellent sequel to Greenlight.

While I have really enjoyed his more serious crime fiction novels, Stevenson’s best work is easily his Ernest Cunningham series. Starting in 2022 with the outrageous and incredible Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone, this series follows a murder mystery expert who finds himself trying to solve an elaborate killing involving his own trapped family. Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone was such a good book, especially as Stevenson expertly utilised his comedy background to tell a particularly entertaining story, and it ended up being one of my favourite pieces of Australian fiction from 2022. Not to be outdone, Stevenson followed this book up last year with the awesome sequel, Everyone on this Train is a Suspect. Once again forcing the protagonist into a unique locked-room mystery, Everyone on this Train is a Suspect proved to be an epic book, especially as it cleverly parodied the crime fiction genre, and it was one of my favourite books and pieces of Australian fiction from 2023.

Needless to say, I have been keeping a close eye out for anymore books from Stevenson, and I was delighted when I found out there was going to be a third Ernest Cunningham novel coming out later this year. This book, which is set for release in late October 2024, is the awesome sounding Everyone This Christmas has a Secret, which will throw the protagonist into a whole new mess of trouble.

Plot Synopsis:

Benjamin Stevenson returns with a Christmas addition to his bestselling Ernest Cunningham mysteries. Unwrap all the Christmas staples: presents, family, an impossible murder or two, and a deadly advent calendar of clues.

If Knives Out and The Thursday Murder Club kissed under the mistletoe…

My name’s Ernest Cunningham. I used to be a fan of reading Golden Age murder mysteries, until I found myself with a haphazard career getting stuck in the middle of real-life ones. I’d hoped, this Christmas, that any self-respecting murderer would kick their feet up and take it easy over the holidays. I was wrong.

So here I am, backstage at the show of world-famous magician Rylan Blaze, whose benefactor has just been murdered. My suspects are all professional tricksters: masters of the art of misdirection.

THE MAGICIAN
THE ASSISTANT
THE EXECUTIVE
THE HYPNOTIST
THE TWIN
THE COUNSELLOR
THE TECH

My clues are even more abstract: A suspect covered in blood, without a memory of how it got there; A murder committed without setting foot inside the room where it happens; And an advent calendar. Because, you know, it’s Christmas.

If I can see through the illusions, I know I can solve it.

After all, a good murder is just like a magic trick, isn’t it?

Now this sounds like a pretty damn epic read and boy am I going to have fun with it later this year. Taking his fun concept and turning it into a Christmas-themed murder mystery is a brilliant move from Stevenson and I am really excited to see how it works in Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret. Focussing the murder on a bunch of different entertainers, all of whom are trained liars and distractors, should result in a complex mystery and I am sure that Stevenson is going to produce a very memorable story around it. The utterly ridiculous scenario also plays masterfully into Stevenson’s comedy and performance background, so I am sure its going to be loaded with some amazing jokes and references that will appeal to a lot of people.

Look, after all the fun I’ve had with his last few books picking up the new Benjamin Stevenson is a given for me at this point. However, having a new Ernest Cunningham mystery that features an elaborate and entertaining Christmas themed murder mystery is just gold and there is no way I’m not going to have an absolute blast reading this book. I am exceedingly excited for Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret and I cannot wait to see how Stevenson continues his outstanding series. While I am a tad worried about the shorter length of this novel, which might restrict the mystery a little, I am sure that Stevenson has something special planned, and I look forward to seeing it unfold. Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret has the potential to be one of my favourite books of the year and in my opinion October cannot come soon enough.

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret Cover 2

WWW Wednesday – 12 June 2024

On June 12, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW Wednesday3 Comments

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:

Eruption by Michael Crichton and James Patterson (Trade Paperback)

Eruption Cover

I just started reading the epic thriller Eruption. Written by the surprising team of the late Michael Crichton and bestselling author James Patterson, Eruption follows a massive volcanic event that threatens Hawaii with destruction. I’ve made a good start on Eruption, and I am enjoying its fast-paced story. I look forward to seeing how this intriguing novel unfolds, and this will probably end up being one of the most entertaining and exciting books of 2024.

Point Nemo by Jeremy Robinson (Audiobook)

Point Nemo Cover

I didn’t get as much audiobook listening time this week as I’d hoped so I’m still going with the compelling science fiction thriller Point Nemo by Jeremy Robinson. An awesome and unique novel that sees a small group journey to an alien landscape that forms in the middle of the most remote ocean, Point Nemo is a captivating and electrifying adventure that proves hard to put down. I am hoping to finish off Point Nemo in the next couple of days and I am very curious to see how Robinson brings everything together.

What did you recently finish reading?

Mrs Hopkins by Shirley Barrett (Trade Paperback)

Mrs Hopkins Cover

A unique and memorable piece of Australian fiction.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Camino Ghosts by John Grisham

Camino Ghosts Cover 2

The next book I will probably read is the new legal thriller from John Grisham, Camino Ghosts. A sequel to several of Grisham’s previous novels, Camino Ghosts will follow a desperate legal battle to claim an abandoned island, which will no doubt turn nasty. I have had a lot of fun with Grisham’s books the last couple of years and I look forward to seeing what happens here.

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.

Warhammer 40,000: Cain’s Last Stand by Sandy Mitchell

On June 10, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Throwback Thursday, Tie-in Novel, Warhammer5 Comments

Cain's Last Stand Cover

Publisher: Black Library (Audiobook – 1 January 2008)

Series: Ciaphas Cain – Book Six

Length: 10 hours and 30 minutes

My Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

I’ve been on a real roll with the amazing Ciaphas Cain series by Sandy Mitchell (a pseudonym of Alex Stewart) lately, which is easily one of the funniest Warhammer 40,000 series out there. Amazing books like For the Emperor, Caves of Ice, The Traitor’s Hand, Death or Glory and Duty Calls have all proved to be highly entertaining, and I like the author’s take on a less heroic figure in the martyr-filled grimdark Warhammer 40,000 universe. As such, when in need of a particularly fun read, I made the very easy choice to power through another entry in this classic series last week with the sixth book, Cain’s Last Stand. This was an unsurprisingly awesome book, and I loved the intriguing story that emerged.

Commissar Ciaphas Cain, legendary hero of the Imperium and self-professed fraudulent coward, has done the near impossible and survived decades of brutal service in the Imperial Guard. Now effectively retired from active duty, Cain has returned to the planet of Perlia, which he helped save from an ork invasion early in his career, and now spends his time teaching Commissar cadets at the planet’s Schola Progenium. However, the battle is never truly over for Cain, and soon dark forces begin to descend once again.

Half a galaxy away, Abaddon the Despoiler has launched his 13^th Black Crusade, determined to invade the Imperium of Man. While most of the fighting occurs around the fortress world of Cadia, a splinter fleet has broken off and is heading deep into the Imperium, defeating several forces sent to stop it. When it becomes apparent that this fleet is heading directly for Perlia, Cain is once again forced into action, especially as he knows exactly what they are coming for.

An ancient alien device of devastating power lies hidden on Perlia, one capable of reshaping reality itself, and Cain is one of the few people who knows it’s there. With no means of escape available and the fate of the galaxy in the balance, Cain is forced to lead the defence of Perlia against the oncoming Chaos tide. With only a ramshackle army of local soldiers, militia and students from the Schola under his command, the defence of the planet looks grim, especially when faced with a charismatic Chaos lord and his fanatically loyal soldiers. Worse, a far greater evil has its eyes on Perlia, one that Cain fears above all else. Can the legendary hero of the Imperium pull out one last impossible victory before he rides off into the sunset, or has Cain finally met his match at the site of his greatest triumph?

Mitchell continues to bring joy to the dark Warhammer 40,000 universe with this epic sixth entry, which I had so much fun with. Cain’s Last Stand was an excellent read, and I loved the cool and elaborate story that emerged.

I think Cain’s Last Stand might be one of my favourite stories that Mitchell has so far used for the Ciaphas Cain series, especially because it differs from the standard narrative patterns of the series, while also cleverly tying together some intriguing ongoing storylines. Set further into the future than any of the previous books, you get to see a nearly retired Cain in action, as the series finally ties itself into the events of the 13^th Black Crusade (the original version of it, not the darker recent retcon). I liked how Mitchell takes the reader back to the setting of the fourth book, Death or Glory, and the initial scenes of Cain as a reluctant but capable teacher, were very fun. The switch from Tyranids to Chaos as the main threat is handled extremely well, and I liked the continued niggle that even worse enemies are lurking around. The subsequent reveal that the reason behind the invasion is due to the ancient artefact first hinted at in Death or Glory and then expanded on in Duty Calls was great, and Mitchell does an excellent job of tying the various ongoing storylines together.

The second half of Cain’s Last Stand proves to be a very fun planetary invasion arc, especially as Cain works to rally an unusual array of defenders, including untrained militia, under strength garrison forces, and his own students. The forces of Chaos prove to be excellent foes for this story, and I liked the much more insidious nature of the threat that emerged, especially as there was a slow build to the reveal. After plenty of action, clever ploys, some touching tragedy, and so much misdirection from the protagonist, the story eventually heads to the inevitable last stand, which cleverly mirrors a similar event from Death or Glory. Mitchell does a great job of building up anticipation for this event, and it doesn’t disappoint as there are some excellent action sequences and fun revelations that occurred. I particularly enjoyed the big bluff that leads to the death of a certain enemy, especially as it was a classic Cain antic. The final reveal about the actual big bad of the story was well handled, and it leaves this storyline open for the future, which I am very excited for. An overall excellent addition to the series that builds on the prior novels while offering existing fans something new to enjoy.

Mitchell continues to utilise the fantastic writing style that has made the other Ciaphas Cain books so much fun, and I love how it cleverly enhances the narrative of Cain’s Last Stand. As always, the cool journal format, equipped with entertaining footnotes and in-universe texts from Inquisitor Amberley Vail, ensures that you get a frank and cynical look at events in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, and I love the inherent humour that results. The various action scenes are exciting and fast-paced, and the constant commentary of complaints and annoyance that emerges from the protagonist are very entertaining. This action and compelling humour are well offset by some of the darker elements of the plot, including some genuinely tragic moments, and you get thrown around the emotional ringer as a result. This mixture of elements helped to create a much more impactful and complex read, and I appreciated some occasional seriousness to go with the impressive humour.

As with most books in the Ciaphas Cain series, Cain’s Last Stand can be read as a standalone read, especially as the author does a good job of rehashing relevant events from the prior novels. However, for the full experience, especially when it comes to some fascinating storylines, reading the last two books would be good, and I really enjoyed how the author kept bringing the story back to these prior adventures. While there was once again some repetition between books as Mitchell reutilises his favourite lines, I felt that the more original story and important connections to previous books ensured that Cain’s Last Stand stood out and got away from some of these minor issues. An excellently written book that will appeal to both new readers and established fans of the series.

As always, I must give a callout to the outstanding characters featured in Cain’s Last Stand. This of course includes Commissar Ciaphas Cain, the main protagonist and narrator, whose harrowing adventures we continue to follow. I’ve talked a lot about the exciting dichotomy of Cain throughout my previous reviews, especially as he can be considered both a hero and a coward, and I loved seeing that occur again in Cain’s Last Stand. Cain continues to be both a self-serving cad and a peerless commander, and it always fun to see himself plot to survive while discounting his own accomplishments. His adventures in this book are particularly fun, and the inclusion of the protagonist as a teacher trying to get his methodology of command to Commissar cadets was a great choice from Mitchell and plays nicely on some of his offhand comments in previous books. This, as well as the return to a planet important to his mythos, ensures that Cain has a lot to think about in Cain’s Last Stand, and I really enjoyed the way his past adventures keep coming back to haunt him. This was a powerful adventure for Cain, and I always enjoy seeing the protagonist debate his own legacy whilst doing his trademark daring deeds.

The supporting cast for Cain’s Last Stand was also very good, and it provided an interesting mixed of established characters, returning figures, and raft of great new comrades. This includes Inquisitor Amberley Vail, whose role as the overarching narrator of the book, as well as the person behind the footnotes, ensures that her fun influence is felt the entire way through. Cain’s faithful bagman, Jurgen, was also a welcome inclusion, and his loyal service and fun interactions with Cain were as great as always. Jurgen once again showed why he is the true MVP of the Ciaphas Cain series, and you have to love the entertaining contrast between his Baldrick-esque appearance and his impressive abilities. Other great characters include a favourite character from Death or Glory, an interesting array of fellow teachers from Cain’s Schola Progenium, and other unique comrades for the protagonist. I particularly enjoyed the class of Commissar cadets who are being instructed by Cain, and it was fun to see the range of different personalities they had. Throw in a smarmy Chaos warlord whose charisma and influence outweighed his abilities and stature, and you had a great cast for Cain’s Last Stand, and I had a lot of fun seeing Cain interact with them.

I once again had an outstanding time with the audiobook format of this book, and frankly there is no better way to enjoy a Ciaphas Cain novel. Thanks to the epic and well-cast multiple narrators, readers get an amazing experience when they listen to Cain’s Last Stand, especially as it helps to really capture the crazy nature of the plot. The main narrators are Stephen Perring and Penelope Rawlins, who voice Cain’s perspective and Inquisitor Vail’s notes respectfully. Perring once again does an incredible job voicing the main cast of the story, especially Cain and Jurgen, while Rawlins has a lot of fun including her character’s informative, if often sarcastic, comments throughout the plot. These two main narrators complement each other extremely well, and I always have an awesome time listening to them. The audiobook also features the talents of additional narrators Richard Reed, John Banks and Phillipe Bosher, each of whom voice fun in-universe texts and pieces of propaganda to liven up the main plot and provide some amusing context for the main story. I have so much love for how these narrators bring the story together and this proved to be another impressive audiobook to listen to, especially as its great style really fit the fantastic story Mitchell came up with. With a run time of 10 hours and 30 minutes, this is a very easy audiobook to get through quickly, and I managed to finish it off in no time at all.

Cain’s Last Stand was another amazing entry in the Ciaphas Cain series by Sandy Mitchell, and I have so much love for this entertaining and fun Warhammer 40,000 series. This sixth book was a particularly impressive entry in the series, and I loved the complex story that emerged, especially as it brings together several previous adventures from Mitchell’s outstanding protagonist. A clever, exciting and overall funny book that I could not get enough of, Cain’s Last Stand comes highly recommended and I look forward to continuing this series in the future.

Quick Review – Tiger Chair by Max Brooks

On June 10, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Quick Review, Science Fiction, Short Stories, Thriller1 Comment

Tiger Chair Cover

Publisher: Amazon Original Stories (ebook – 1 June 2024)

Series: Standalone

Length: 50 pages

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I was recently lucky enough to receive a copy of the new short story from acclaimed author Max Brooks, Tiger Chair, which instantly grabbed my attention. Brooks is an author I have a lot of love for, especially as his two main novels are huge favourites of mine. This includes his most iconic work, World War Z, which I had an exceptional time listening to a few years ago due to its complex story and the impressive array of celebrity narrators associated with the audiobook version of it. Brooks followed this up a couple of years ago with the compelling horror read, Devolution, that saw an isolated community attacked by sasquatches in an outstanding and exciting read. Devolution ended up being one of my favourite books of 2020 and ensured that I would check out anything else that came my way from Brooks. As such, I made sure to read through Tiger Chair as soon as a got it, as I was intrigued by the content.

Plot Synopsis:

When China invades America, guerrilla warfare explodes on the streets of Los Angeles in this provocative short story about the future of war from Max Brooks, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of World War Z.

China thought it would be a quick war, an easy war. But now, years later, as the insurgency on the streets of Los Angeles escalates but the propaganda never changes, a Chinese officer can’t keep silent any longer. Torn between loyalty to his country and loyalty to his troops, he writes a brutally honest—and possibly suicidal—letter home to unmask the truth.

Brooks combines his signature meticulous research with unforgettable characters in this landmark work of speculative fiction.

This was a very interesting read from Brooks that I was able to power through in a short amount of time. Set in the future, Tiger Chair is written as a secret letter from a Chinese officer involved in a fictional invasion of the United States to a friend back home. In this letter, the officer describes the various hardships of the invasion, including the escalating insurgency in Los Angeles, who are pushing his soldiers to the limit with their intense attacks and low-tech strategies. However, his priority in writing this potentially treasonous letter is to highlight his despair at the ineffective and inflexible strategies of his side, which care more for propaganda than the lives of their soldiers and the civilians, and his desire to see the war come to an end.

I felt this was a rather interesting choice of story for Brooks to write, and it reminded me of the cynical memories of a professional soldier during the zombie wars of World War Z. Brooks paints a grim and gritty story of survival and duty in the Tiger Chair, and you can easily feel the frustration and fear of the protagonist as he attempts to highlight his feelings about how the war is being run and the various lies he and his soldiers have been fed by their superiors. The author really captures the way that the protagonist is caught between loyalty to his country and his anger at how events have unfolded, especially as he is powerless to impart any effective change to the situation.

I was quite impressed by the various scenarios that Brooks imagined for this future war in Tiger Chair, and his vision for how events might unfold in this scenario, as well as the technology that would be utilised for it, is very fascinating. While I am sure that there will be some criticism of Brooks trying to imagine the feelings of Chinese soldiers in a war they might not even undertake, I felt that the Tiger Chair was more of a general warning about the futilities of war, and the frustrations of the lower ranks at the mistakes of their politically motivated superiors. Indeed, many of the issues the protagonist raises could be applied to many other historical or current wars, and there are several allusions to them in the plot.

Brooks does also attempt to get into the Chinese mindset, which I honestly think he did a good job of considering he had less than 50 pages in which to do so. There is an interesting examination of the national identity and how their history and culture would influence them into going to war, and the various opinions people within the country would have about these battles. Brooks also includes some commentary of recent well-known events and controversies involving China, which is more geared towards central criticism than specific critiques of the Chinese. For example, while he mentions the way in which China influences American media and movies for their own purposes, the protagonist’s resulting criticism are more directed towards the media companies that allowed them to happen as they sacrificed their principles for money. These and other observations an about current society are quite interesting and make for quite a compelling story.

Overall, I felt that Tiger Chair was a compelling and intense short story from Brooks that brings together some intriguing ideas and predictions. While I probably would have avoided Tiger Chair if it weren’t Brooks writing it, mainly because I prefer full-length novels to short stories, I’m glad I checked this out, and it ended up being a fascinating and powerful read.

Quick Review – The Winter Palace by Paul Morgan

On June 10, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Drama, Historical Fiction, Quick Review4 Comments

The Winter Palace Cover

Publisher: Penguin Books (Trade Paperback – 26 March 2024)

Series: Standalone

Length: 329 pages

My page: 4.25 out of 5 stars

Compelling Australian author Paul Morgan presents an intense and intriguing historical drama that examines the tragic lives of a Polish husband and wife who find themselves torn apart by war and circumstance in The Winter Palace.

Plot Synopsis:

If he had died, I would know it in my heart.

In 1939, Anton, a captain in the Polish army, says goodbye to his wife, Elisabeth. He is leaving to defend their homeland against the invasion by Nazi Germany and Russia. They make a vow that – whatever happens, however much time passes – they’ll meet again at the Winter Palace, their stately home in the Polish countryside.

The winds of war draw them far apart. Anton is captured and sent to Siberia as a POW. He eventually joins a lost army that battles through snowstorms and scorching deserts in Central Asia to find freedom. Anton survives, driven by his determination to join Elisabeth again. She, meanwhile, is forced to be the ‘mistress’ of a Nazi officer before escaping to join the Polish resistance.

As the war ends, Anton and Elisabeth are at the opposite ends of the world. Anton is in Australia. Elisabeth is in Poland, awaiting his return for months and then years. Will they ever meet again at the Winter Palace?

From 1930s Europe to present-day Australia, this is a sweeping story of love that cannot be broken by time, distance, war or even death.

Morgan came up with a powerful and captivating tale in The Winter Palace which really hits hard. Following Anton, a Polish military captain, and his wife Elisabeth, The Winter Palace features a well-planned-out split protagonist storyline that shows their respective dark journeys during the destructive chaos of World War II.

Both character-focused storylines are interesting and dark in their own ways, especially as the two protagonists go through hell and back as part of their respective war stories. Anton’s plot follows the fate of the Polish soldiers who were captured during the joint Nazi and Soviet Invasion. In Anton’s case, he experiences being a Soviet POW, a reluctant Soviet soldier fighting the Nazis, and then a member of the Allies when the Soviets send their freed Polish soldiers to Palestine. Elisabeth’s story is more Poland focused, as she is forced to become a Nazi ‘mistress’ before escaping and finding purpose, first as a nurse, and then as a member of the Polish resistance. Both storylines go in some very compelling directions, as the protagonists experience major traumas, tragedies and struggles, all while the two characters are convinced that they will never see their spouse again.

I honestly have a hard time saying which of these two storylines was my favourite, as both hit you in different ways. Anton’s was possibly the more interesting to me as a fan of military history, and I found his constant struggle to survive the direct imprisonments he experienced to be both moving and intense. There are some very direct tragedies in Anton’s experiences, including a particularly dark moment in the first half of the book, and I really found the story of the captured Polish soldiers to be extremely fascinating. However, the other half the book that focuses on Elisabeth is just as dark, if not even more traumatic, especially as the protagonist experiences evil she can’t fight back against, at least not at first. Watching her overcome her constant oppression and pull together a satisfying life that allows her to help people on many fronts was particularly inspiring, and I really enjoyed how her arc came together.

While these storylines are separate for the entirety of the plot, I felt that Morgan did a good job playing them off each other. The corresponding tragedies, the near misses in finding out each other’s fates, and the decisions they make as a result are all moving and captivating, and you are constantly enthralled to see if or how they will get back together. I think that the ending Morgan left the book on was particularly moving, and it fit the overarching themes of the tragedy of war and not knowing about those left behind. I also appreciated how Morgan didn’t overuse the trope of Australian descendants finding out the wartime secrets of their parents or grandparents. Instead, readers were given a simple but highly effective connection to the present that ended the story on a thoughtful and peaceful note that was a great conclusion to such an intense story.

I really must emphasise how impressed and intrigued I was by some of the historical elements captured in The Winter Palace. Morgan does an amazing job of showcasing various alterative experiences suffered by the Polish, from the initial invasion all the way up to the end of the war. This includes a great rundown of how many citizens, especially women, were abused in Poland as the troops rolled in, which ensured a dark aura around the potential homecoming many characters were hoping for. However, I found the historical details of the Polish soldiers and civilians captured in the opening days of the invasion to be the most interesting. Watching the various hardships and journeys that these individuals had to go through during the war, including being POWs, having to fight alongside their former captors against the Nazis when they found themselves on the same side as the Soviets, and the transfer of their army to the Middle East to serve with the Allies on the Western front was extremely fascinating and it was an part of history you don’t see often in fiction. These historical details from Morgan where some of my favourite parts of the book, and I deeply appreciated the compelling story he told around them.

Overall, The Winter Palace by Paul Morgan was an outstanding and compelling historical drama that really grabbed my attention. Powerful, unflinching and focusing on a complex and dark period of our history, this was an emotionally charged and excellent read that is really worth checking out.

Book Haul 7 June 2024

On June 7, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Book HaulLeave a comment

I have been having another excellent couple of weeks for books, and 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.

You Like it Darker by Stephen King

You Like It Darker Cover

First up, I recently received the short story collection You Like It Darker by the legendary Stephen King. Set to feature a range of intriguing short stories and novellas from the master of dark fiction, including tie-ins to his more iconic works, You Like It Darker should be a pretty awesome read and I’m very much looking forward to it.

Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Service Model Cover

I also received a copy of the exciting new Adrian Tchaikovsky novel, Service Model. The second of four books Tchaikovsky is writing this year (overachiever!), Service Model is an intense and satirical read that will pit a murderous robot against the remains of humanity who have started to fail due to their overreliance on technology. I have no doubt this is going to be outstanding, and I cannot wait to read it.

The Mercy Chair by M. W. Craven

The Mercy Chair Cover

Last year I had the pleasure of reading the excellent M. W. Craven novel, Fearless, which ended up being really fun. As such I have been keeping an eye out for more of Craven’s books and I just received a copy of his latest novel The Mercy Chair. The sixth Washington Poe novel, The Mercy Chair sounds like a dark and twisty novel that I am really intrigued by.

Outrider by Mark Wales

Outrider Cover

A grim and complex sounding Australian thriller set in a futuristic, war-torn Australia. Outrider looks set to be an epic read and I cannot wait to dive into it.

Fool Me Twice by Benjamin Stevenson

Fool Me Twice Cover

From one of my Australian authors at the moment comes the novella collection Fool Me Twice. Featuring novelizations of two of Stevenson’s audiobooks, Find Us and Last One to Leave, this should be a very interesting book, especially for fans of Stevenson’s humorous and clever writing.

The Wrong Hands by Mark Billingham

The Wrong Hands Cover

One of the more unique thrillers of 2024, The Wrong Hands sees Mark Billingham’s very excentric protagonist receive a pair of severed hands in a briefcase, which leads him to confrontations with an array of crazy and unlikely killers. I am very intrigued by The Wrong Hands, and I look forward to checking it out.

Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell

Love Letters to a Serial Killer Cover

The final book I recently received was the fantastic debut novel, Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell. Set to follows a frustrated woman who finds a new lease on life when she begins writing to a serial killer in prison. This sounds like a very interesting and entertaining read, and I am curious to see how it turns out.

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

WWW Wednesday – 5 June 2024

On June 6, 2024 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:

Mrs Hopkins by Shirley Barrett (Trade Paperback)

Mrs Hopkins Cover

I am currently reading the intriguing Australian historical drama Mrs Hopkins. The final book of late Australian author Shirley Bennett, Mrs Hopkins is a compelling read about women’s reform school in 19th century Sydney. This is proving to be an interesting read and I am hoping to get through it this weekend.

Point Nemo by Jeremy Robinson (Audiobook)

Point Nemo Cover

On the audiobook front I am currently listening to the exciting science fiction thriller Point Nemo by the always entertaining Jeremy Robinson. A fast-paced read that sees a small group journey to an alien landscape that forms in the middle of the most remote ocean, Point Nemo is a captivating and electrifying adventure that proves hard to put down. I have made a lot of progress on Point Nemo already and I cannot wait to see how everything comes together.

What did you recently finish reading?

Hill 112 by Adrian Goldsworthy (ebook)

Hill 112 Cover

I managed to finish off the epic historical novel Hill 112 by Adrian Goldsworthy this week. A powerful and brutal World War II novel, Hill 112 followed three young soldiers fighting in one of the bloodiest battles of the Normandy campaign. A compelling and harrowing read.

Warhammer 40,000: Cain’s Last Stand by Sandy Mitchell (Audiobook)

Cain's Last Stand Cover

Another exceptional and highly entertaining entry in the amusing Ciaphas Cain series, Cain’s Last Stand was a great addition to the series and the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Review to follow soon.

Nero by Conn Iggulden (Trade Paperback)

Nero Cover

I also managed to power through the epic historical fiction novel Nero by Conn Iggulden. An intriguing read that followed the early days of the titular tyrant and show the events that led to him becoming Emperor. One of the best historical books of 2024.

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 think I will probably dive into the new 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 have no doubt I will have a wonderful time reading Death on the Tiber.

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 – Capture or Kill by Don Bentley (series created by Vince Flynn)

On June 5, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller, 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. 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 my latest Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight a new entry in one of my favourite thriller series that looks to take the franchise in a new direction with Capture or Kill by Don Bentley.

Capture or Kill Cover

Ever since I started writing this blog one of the main spy thriller series that I have been enjoying are the exciting Mitch Rapp books. Initially written by Vince Flynn, the Mitch Rapp books follow a grizzled American spy who is sent out to stop the biggest threats to the United States in a very violent fashion. The first 14 Mitch Rapp books were written by Flynn before his passing in 2013, with the series subsequently continued by Kyle Mills. I personally have enjoyed the last several books by Mills, including Red War, Lethal Agent, Total Power, Enemy at the Gates, Oath of Loyalty and Code Red, which have contained some outstanding storylines, including attacks on America’s power grid and a dangerous US President trying to take down the protagonist. As such, this series is now firmly on my must-read list every year, and I always look forward to an over-the-top adventure with Mitch Rapp.

The 2024 addition to the series is set to come out in September, however, there have been some interesting developments on that front. The main change is that Kyle Mills is no longer writing the series and instead it has been taken over by veteran thriller author Don Bentley. Bentley, who already has a lot of experience with other major thriller series, looks to take the series back to its roots with Capture or Kill, especially as it will see Rapp return to take on dangerous threats in the Middle East.

Plot Synopsis:

Mitch Rapp faces an Iranian foe bent on destabilizing the Middle East in the newest thriller from Vince Flynn’s #1 New York Times bestselling series, now written by the “worthy successor to Tom Clancy” (Publishers Weekly) Don Bentley.

April 2011: On a remote mountaintop overlooking the remains of the Iranian nuclear weapons program, Azad Ashani witnesses a Quds Force demonstration of a capability meant to upend America’s war in the Middle East. Ashani, director of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security and Irene Kennedy’s former back channel to the Iranian government, recognizes the demonstration’s true significance, and the nation-ending conflict it will provoke. Alone, Ashani stands no chance of preventing this rush to madness.

But with the help of one man, he just might.

In Washington, DC, CIA director Irene Kennedy briefs the president that the operational window to kill or capture Osama bin Laden at his recently discovered compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan is rapidly closing. But before he’ll authorize a commando raid on Pakistani soil, the president demands irrefutable proof of bin Laden’s presence.

Proof he trusts just one man to provide.

Preventing a looming war in the Middle East while delivering justice for the nearly 3,000 Americans killed on 9/11 would be a big ask for anyone.

Mitch Rapp isn’t just anyone.

This sounds like a pretty fun new adventure for the Mitch Rapp series, and I am very intrigued to see how Bentley takes over the character in this 23^rd book. Pitting Rapp against terrorist foes and the Iranian government is a classic adventure for this action protagonist, and I am curious to see the story go back a few years to 2011. I have no doubt whatsoever that Capture or Kill is going to be a particularly exciting and epic read, and I cannot wait to get my hands on it later this year.

Warhammer 40,000: Duty Calls by Sandy Mitchell

On June 5, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Throwback Thursday, Tie-in Novel, Warhammer7 Comments

Duty Calls Cover

Publisher: Black Library (Audiobook – 22 May 2007)

Series: Ciaphas Cain – Book Five

Length: 9 hours and 37 minutes

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

One of the most entertaining authors of Warhammer fiction, Sandy Mitchell, continues to shine with the fifth book in his excellent Ciaphas Cain series, Duty Calls.

I doubt anyone is too surprised to hear that I broke a recent lull of reading by resuming the Ciaphas Cain series. The Ciaphas Cain books, written by Sandy Mitchell (the alternate penname of author Alex Stewart), are an outstanding series that aims to bring a little humour to the crazy and dark battles of the gothic Warhammer 40,000 universe. I have deeply enjoyed the first four books in this series, For the Emperor, Caves of Ice, The Traitor’s Hand and Death or Glory, and this honestly is one of the very best Warhammer 40,000 series out there.

Commissar Ciaphas Cain, hero of the Imperium and self-confessed self-serving coward, continues his exciting and deadly adventures when a new dark threat rises to destroy humanity. After his last harrowing adventure with the Valhallan 597^th, Cain is keen for a less deadly experience, and his new deployment to help crack down on civil unrest on the planet of Periremunda seems to be the ticket. However, nothing is ever simple when Cain is involved.

Upon arriving on Periremunda, Cain quickly finds his life in danger as a series of assassination attempts are made against him. Realising that his assailants are genestealers, the deadly scouts of the Tyranid swarm, Cain begins to understand the true danger Periremunda is in, as the genstealers herald the approach a Hive Fleet. But unstoppable hordes of alien creatures are the least of Cain’s worries as he is reunited with his old flame, Inquisitor Amberley Vail.

Ostensibly on Periremunda to help the Imperial Guard stave off the Tyranid invasion, it soon becomes apparent that Vail is there for a darker reason. Something incredibly important has been hidden on the planet that has the potential to change the entire Imperium. Forced to assist Vail, Cain and his trusty aide, Jurgen, find themselves thrust into the deadly intricacies of a battle between hidden underground factions. But with hungry Tyranids all around, deadly assassins gunning for Cain and a mysterious Chaos cult causing mischief, can Cain survive his deadliest encounter yet?

Duty Calls was an awesome addition to the Ciaphas Cain series that builds on several of the prior adventures, while also testing the protagonist in some fun new ways. I loved the interesting story contained with Duty Calls, and this was one of Mitchell’s stronger additions to the series.

This fifth Ciaphas Cain novel had a great story behind it, although I am sure that prior readers will be familiar with the overall thrust of the narrative, with the seemingly cowardly Cain arriving on a new planet to face one threat, only to discover a much more dangerous enemy hiding beneath the surface that he is forced to reluctantly face and defeat, once again accidentally proving that he is a hero. While Mitchell does try to break this story premise up throughout the series, this is a recurring story format, which can get a little too repetitive. However, I think that Duty Calls stands on its own feet and Mitchell does a good job distinguishing it from the previous entries in the series. The initial hidden threat of genestealers transforms into a massive Tyranid invasion, and it proved intriguing to see the protagonist face off against the ravening alien forces. Tyranids are easily one of the best antagonists in the entire Warhammer 40,000 canon, and while they lose a little of their fighting ability in the face of Cain’s plot armour, they proved to be a great threat in Duty Calls.

While Mitchell could have probably left Duty Calls as simply a military novel, the inclusion of major recurring character Inquisitor Amberley Vail ensures that Cain is thrust into a much more subtle form of danger alongside the Tyranid invasion. Caught between warring factions of the Inquisition and Adeptus Mechanicus, Cain is used as a pawn in the resulting shadow war, and there are some great scenes as Cain dodges assassination attempts, hidden Chaos cults, and other unseen dangers, all while trying to work out what the elaborate conspiracy is. Novels that focus on the plots and conspiracies of Inquisitors are always very cool in the Warhammer 40,000 universe (see my reviews for Xenos, Malleus and Hereticus by Dan Abnett), and Mitchell fits Cain into this intrigue laden story arc extremely well. It helped that there was some excellent set-up for this in the previous novel, and it was good to get a continuation here. The resulting combination of storylines comes together really well, and Duty Calls has a really impressive and addictive narrative that will appeal to all fans of Warhammer 40,000 fiction.

As with the previous Ciaphas Cain novels, Mitchell does a great job of balancing the various elements of Duty Calls perfectly. While primarily a military focused science fiction read, Duty Calls also has some great elements of intrigue and espionage, which ensures extra levels of excitement and danger. However, I feel that the best part of Duty Calls is the inherent humour that Mitchell produces, which is a real rarity in Warhammer fiction. Most of this is due to the hilarious and cynical narration of the main character, who pulls no punches when it comes to describing how ridiculous events are and the fact that he’s caught in the middle of them. Extra humour is also built in due to the contained chronicle format that Mitchell has set the series out in, with the protagonist’s journal entries enhanced by extra documentation, descriptions, references and notes from Cain’s associate, Inquisitor Vail. Vail’s sarcastic take on Cain’s description of events throughout these extra notes is a lot of fun, and the additional in-universe texts and broadcasts seek to showcase just how ridiculous humanity and the Imperium has gotten in the war-torn future, with over-the-top bits of propaganda and biased historical documents. All this adds to quite a funny book, and this built-in comedy pairs remarkably well with the more serious parts of Duty Call’s narrative to create a truly addictive and fun read.

I felt that Duty Calls was a strong entry in the Ciaphas Cain series, especially as it builds nicely off the events of the preceding novel, Death or Glory. Due to the series looking at different time periods of Cain’s career, Duty Calls is set between the second and third books, although it makes a lot of references to the first novel, and the events of Death or Glory, which took place many years before. While the jumps around the timeline are a little confusing, Mitchell makes it work, and I liked seeing the return of several recurring characters, as well as a continuation of some mysterious storylines from the previous book. Despite these connections, Duty Calls also works quite well as a standalone novel, and new readers can jump into the series here without too many issues. Indeed, Duty Calls is a good introduction to both the Tyranids and the Warhammer 40,000 universe, and the Ciaphas Cain books are very much engineered for new Warhammer fans. I will say that after reading several Ciaphas Cain books in a row, Mitchell’s proclivity for repeating elements from his other novels is a bit more obvious, and you do get a little weary of hearing the same phrases, descriptions and character depictions again and again. Still, Mitchell ensures that Duty Calls is a particularly entertaining read, so its easy to really get stuck into it, and I deeply enjoyed seeing this unique series continue.

As always, I must mention the great characters featured within Duty Calls. The most prominent of these is series protagonist Ciaphas Cain, who might be one of the more complex and debated figures in the Warhammer 40,000 canon. Shown by his own admission to be a coward and a false hero, Cain spends most of the book trying to come up with ways to avoid combat and surviving the inevitable battles that his reputation and own bad luck force him to participate in. His memoirs are filled with cynical allusions to the methods he utilises to survive, and you can see that Mitchell is trying to emulate classic characters like Flashman or Blackadder. However, despite the character’s constant assurances that he is no hero, you see time and time again that there is far more to Cain, as he routinely defeats the enemy, often thanks to his own caution, survival instincts and ability to inspire his fellow troops. I love how you are constantly rooting for Cain, despite his attempts to weasel out of trouble, and his self-deprecation about his actions really makes you feel for him, especially as its apparent that he is just one filled with self-doubt after not being an over-the-top martyr like the other heroes in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. At the same time, Cain also provides a lot of the book’s humour, as you are bombarded with his fun comments and cynical attitude about everyone he encounters. As such, I really appreciate Cain as a central character in this series, and it is always so much fun to follow him throughout his adventures.

Aside from Cain, there is an interesting array of characters featured in Duty Calls who I had a lot of fun with. Many of them are recurring from the previous novels, and it was good to see various familiar faces again. This includes Cain’s faithful aide, Jurgen, who Mitchell portrays in a manner like Baldrick from Blackadder, due to his apparent gormless attitude and poor personal hygiene. However, in many ways Jurgen is just as much a hero as Cain, often being the one to save the day with his skills and big gun, and he forms a great team with Cain, especially as his Commissar is usually the one drawing the enemy’s attention from his aide’s attacks. I also really enjoyed seeing the return of Inquisitor Amberley Vail, both as a character in Cain’s adventures and the person publishing his memoirs. Vail proves to be the perfect foil to Cain for many reasons, and I like how she’s the only person who can effectively manipulate Cain and doesn’t fall for his lies and schemes. Vail constantly calls out Cain, both in person and through the footnotes she amends to his chronicles, and I love how she has his number, while also clearly caring for Cain as a partner. Duty Calls really shows just how dangerous Vail can be though, especially as she gets into the fight and makes some tough decisions. Other interesting characters include several familiar soldiers from the Valhallan 597^th, the outrageous members of Vail’s inquisitorial retinue, and a several intriguing antagonists who prove to be great and over-the-top opponents to the sensible Cain. All these characters added a lot to the impact of the book, and I cannot wait to see how they fit into Cain’s adventures again in the future.

Readers who have seen my previous Ciaphas Cain reviews know that the only way I am going to enjoy this series is through its audiobook format. All Warhammer novels make awesome audiobooks, but the Ciaphas Cain audiobooks are something particularly special thanks to the use of multiple narrators. Duty Calls features six separate narrators who add a great deal to the production thanks to their fantastic voices and entertaining takes on the characters and universe. Most of this narration is done by the superbly talented Stephen Perring, who lends his voice to all the chapters told from Cain’s perspective. As such, he covers most of the first-person action and adventures of the main character, and his take on the complex Cain and his colleagues is exceptional. The way he captures the various aspects of Cain’s character through his voice work is impressive, and you really get a sense of the multiple layers surrounding his motivations. Perring also does a really good job of capturing the other intriguing characters Cain interacts with, including his aid Jurgen, and the eclectic members of the Inquisition that crosses his path.

After Perring, the most prominent narrator is Penelope Rawlins, who provides narrations for the various inclusions written by Inquisitor Vail. As such, Rawlin’s voice is constantly interjected into the audiobook at various points as she reads out the footnotes, context pages, and personal remarks from Vail, as she attempts to make Cain’s story more readable. Rawlins has really perfected her Vail voice over the course of the series, and it is always great to have the playful, informative, and often gently exasperated tones of a chronicling Inquisitor come through the plot. There is also some good contrast between Perring and Rawlins, especially as both voice the character of Vail throughout Duty Calls, and they serve as a winning main team.

The other four narrators, Emma Gregory, Richard Reed, Tara Rawson and Andrew James Spooner are also very fun, even if they are used a little sparingly. These four narrators’ voice extracts from various in-universe texts, chronicles and new casts that Inquisitor Vail has added to Cain’s manuscripts to give them more context. These talented narrators go all out in voicing these intriguing and often over-the-top inclusions, and I love the humorous spin their excellent narration adds to them as a result. Gregory is particularly noteworthy, especially as she once again voices the ridiculously patriotic memoirs of an officer fighting alongside Cain, but all these extra narrators do such a great job. This excellent and entertaining combination of voice actors and audiobook narrators turns Duty Calls into a real treat to listen to, and I honestly cannot recommend this format enough to anyone interested in checking out the Ciaphas Cain series.

I continue to fall further in love with the Ciaphas Cain series as Sandy Mitchell produces another amazing and fun story in Duty Calls. Loaded with action, humour, and a particularly complex protagonist, Duty Calls had everything I’ve come to expect from the Ciaphas Cain series, and I deeply enjoyed how Mitchell continues to showcase the Warhammer 40,000 universe in his own distinctive way. I can think of no better way to highlight just how much of a great time I had with Duty Calls than to reveal that I automatically started listening to the sequel Cain’s Last Stand, the moment I finished it. Highly recommended to all Warhammer fans and new readers wanting some fun science fiction adventures.

Crucible of Chaos by Sebastien de Castell

On June 5, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Fantasy, Five-Star Books, Murder Mystery17 Comments

Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books (Audiobook – 7 December 2023)

Series: Court of Shadows – Book 0.5

Length: 12 hours and 32 minutes

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

In the mood for a witty, intense and highly unusual murder mystery? Make sure to grab Crucible of Chaos, an outstanding and impressive novel from Sebastien de Castell, which serves as a prelude to his Court of Shadows series.

Earlier this year I was very lucky to receive the first book in Sebastien de Castell’s Court of Shadows series, Play of Shadows. Set in the author’s Greatcoats universe, Play of Shadows was a truly epic and outstanding read that saw an unlucky actor with unusual gifts attempt to unravel a dark conspiracy inflicting his city. I deeply enjoyed Play of Shadows, which was one of the best books I have read so far in 2024, and I was intrigued to check out more from de Castell, an author who had previously impressed me with his hilarious standalone novel, The Malevolent Seven. While de Castell has several great series to his name, the book that caught my eye the most was the late 2023 release, Crucible of Chaos, which apparently served as a prelude to the other Court of Shadows novels. Curious to see how this prequel would turn out, I grabbed the audiobook version of Crucible of Chaos and started listening to it, and boy was I glad that I did.

Travelling duellist and scholar Estevar Borros is a Greatcoat, one of the king’s legendary sword-fighting magistrates. However, even amongst the unusual ranks of the Greatcoats, Estevar is peculiar, not just for his girth, but because of skills in deductive reasoning and his obsession with investigating the supernatural. Known as the King’s Crucible, Estevar has travelled the lands of Tristia, seeking out unusual occurrences and trying to determine whether their cause is natural or supernatural. However, even this renowned investigator of supernatural is unprepared for the chaos awaiting him in Tristia’s most holy site.

Summoned by his old acquaintance Abbot Venia, Estevar travels to Isola Sombra, an isolated island abbey considered the religious heart of Tristia. According to Venia’s letter, the monks of the abbey are starting to fracture into factions following the recent murder of the gods, each with their own ideas of who the nation should worship in the future. A frightened Venia needs Estevar, in his position as a magistrate and an authority on the supernatural, to arbitrate the debate and to help keep the fighting monks in line.

Despite his better judgement, Estevar, already suffering from a wound after a failed duel, agrees to travel to Isola Sombra, but what he finds there will chill him to his very soul. Arriving amid a brutal storm, Estevar finds that the monks have fallen into madness, and now three factions are at war on the island, desperate to claim it for their own. Worse, the abbot has been murdered, and evidence of dark magic lingers throughout the abbey.

Determined find a reasonable explanation for the insanity infesting Isola Sombra, Estevar begins his investigation, hoping to find the source of the chaos rippling across the island. Alone except for a mysterious girl and his trusty mule, a wounded Estevar needs to face off against three very dangerous groups of monks, each of whom have deadly intentions for the interfering Greatcoat. Worse, there are far more dangerous things awaiting the inhabitants of Isola Sombra, even if Estevar doesn’t believe in them. Can the justice-loving Estevar stop the insanity of Isola Sombra with his deduction, sword and courtroom etiquette before it’s too late, or has the King’s Crucible finally found a mystery to insane for even him?

Wow, what an amazing and compelling novel. Crucible of Chaos was another outstanding book from de Castell, and one that really grabbed my attention from the very beginning. Containing an elaborate story, great writing, amazing characters, and so much more, Crucible of Chaos was a joy to read from start to finish, and one that I have little choice but to give a full five-star rating.

De Castell came up with an impressive novel that sets a classic detective story into The Three Musketeer inspired Greatcoats universe. Readers are quickly introduced to two of the main characters, Estevar Borros and his trusty steed, as the dejected pair arrive at Isola Sombra to investigate a religious feud enveloping the island and its abbey. While that is an interesting premise for a story, de Castell raises the stakes by introducing murder, mysterious mysticism, fearful locals, unnatural storms, and three warring factions of monks, which Estevar needs to unravel to get his beloved justice. What follows is a complex and highly entertaining murder investigation as Estevar, with the help of a mysterious girl, begins to interrogate key members of the remaining monks to find out what they know and how their fighting and the resulting murder came about. This proves to be quite addictive, and I found myself getting really drawn into this excellent mystery and the unique fantasy elements surrounding it.

The story takes a very interesting turn around halfway through as Estevar gets some dramatic proof that the events on Isola Sombra are more supernatural than he thought they would be. This leads the protagonist into some dark places as he tries to fully understand everything that is happening, and who is ultimately responsible for the crimes committed. De Castell cleverly lays out some intriguing revelations, as well as some tragic secrets that are cleverly hinted at by false memory and lies, and I had so much fun following all the breadcrumbs. Everything leads up to several great confrontations, as Estevar first deals with some political intrigue that ties Crucible of Chaos into the rest of the series, before once again facing the strange powers haunting the island. There are some inspiring moments here, especially as strange bedfellows fight together against the darkness, before the protagonist initiates a unique trial to reveal the whole truth. The solution to the mystery is very clever, and I was really impressed with how de Castell pulled the whole thing together. The conclusion really goes over-the-top as justice meets religion in some dark ways, and you will come away very impressed and satisfied with the dark, yet hopeful, story that emerged.

I love the tone that de Castell set out for Crucible of Chaos, mainly because there are so many elements that he managed to fit into his story. The blend of mystery, character development, and unique fantasy inclusions from his pre-existing universe is extremely awesome, and I loved how the author managed to create such an elaborate and focused story. The investigation element of Crucible of Chaos was the book’s true heart, and I have a lot of respect for the complex series of crimes that emerged, especially as de Castell managed to incorporate religious conspiracies, political intrigues and supernatural occurrences into the mystery’s solution. There are so many moments of desperation, despair, and dark hope contained within this book, and the reader is constantly left feeling either intrigued by the mystery or shocked by the revelations that emerged. It helped that de Castell’s characters are all so vibrant and entertaining, and there is a captivating humour that runs through the book that proves hard not to enjoy. This whole novel comes together with a great pace that never lets up, and I honestly could not stop listening to Crucible of Chaos at times, especially when all seemed dire, or the protagonist was on the hunt for justice.

As I mentioned above, I came to Crucible of Chaos after reading Play of Shadow, so I was interested in seeing how it would fit into both the Court of Shadows series and the Greatcoats universe. While there are obvious connections to both, for the most part Crucible of Chaos is more of a standalone novel than anything else, as the plot is primarily focused on the intense mystery the protagonist finds himself trapped in. While there are a lot of strong references to previous Greatcoats novels, de Castell does an outstanding job of rehashing these events in a thorough and sensible manner, allowing the readers to get all the necessary context that they need. Readers also do not need to get this book first to enjoy the next book in the series, Play of Shadows, which was reassuring in hindsight, and I kind of like how independent the two books are from each other. The only real connection lies in a couple of revelations towards the end of Crucible of Chaos that hint at dark deeds on the horizon and a shadowy hand manipulating events from afar. As such, Crucible of Chaos is a very accessible book for new readers and serves as a great introduction to the various series associated with it.

I will say that Crucible of Chaos did provide some interesting insights into the nation of Tristia, which serves as the primary setting for the Greatcoats series. There are substantial examinations of the nation’s history, the backstory from the prior books, and other worldbuilding that de Castell has previously come up with, and I found this to be quite fascinating. The often fractured and duellist obsessed nation of Tristia is an amazing background for this story, and I enjoyed the multiple discussions about the role of the Greatcoats as magistrates and keepers of the king’s peace, especially as the protagonist is quite passionate about the ideals of justice they represent. However, a lot of Crucible of Chaos’ focus lies around the religion of the world, as the gods of Tristia become a major aspect of the plot. Indeed, key events of the original Greatcoats series become vitally important here as the protagonist needs to consider the impact that the previous murder of the gods has had on the current religious institutions. I really liked the constant contrasts between the philosophies of human justice and religious practice that becomes recurring theme in Crucible of Chaos, and I rather enjoyed seeing both unique elements of this landscape.

While I loved the story and the dive into the Greatcoats universe, the absolute best part of Crucible of Chaos were the exceptional characters that de Castell set his narrative around. Each of them was complex and endearing in their own fun way, and I really enjoyed the powerful storylines that the author wrote around them. The most prominent of these is protagonist and point-of-view character Estevar Borros. A member of the king’s Greatcoats, Estevar was a very distinctive protagonist, mainly because he didn’t fit the typical fantasy protagonist mould that most readers would be familiar with. A rather girthy and older duellist, Estevar is nonetheless a formidable warrior, often able to overcome younger or more in shape opponents through skill and trickery. However, for this adventure, Estevar recently lost a duel due to his own arrogance and is forced to investigate the events on Isola Sombra while wounded and exhausted, and with his tools and authority missing. I deeply appreciated the multiple handicaps that de Castell placed on his protagonist, especially as it enhanced the intensity of the plot, and it was compelling to see Estevar deal not only with his wounds but his own dark temperament, while trying to solve the case. Despite his disadvantages, Estevar proves to be a capable investigator, and his deductive ability, which results in him being shown as a supernatural obsessed cross between Sherlock Holmes and Porthos. I deeply enjoyed how determined and curious Estevar was throughout the plot, and he was a fun character to follow as he keeps up a genial and pleasant demeaner for most of the book, with some fun cracks of humour. However, we do see some great flashes of emotion from Estevar at key moments, especially when he realises just how deranged the crime he is investigating is. I was a huge fan of Estevar from the opening pages, and he is a protagonist I would love to see again in the future.

Aside from Estevar, de Castell features several other exceptional characters that you have a fantastic time following. This includes the mysterious young female lead, Caeda, who serves as Estevar’s impromptu assistant during the investigation, determined to help find the truth on the island. Shown initially as an energetic and enthusiastic figure, Caeda plays well off Estevar, and I liked the entertaining partnership they formed, even if Caeda is keeping secrets, which eventually leads to some tragic revelations. However, the character you are most likely to fall in love with is Estevar’s mule, Imperious. Much more than a stubborn mule, Imperious is the bravest, most rambunctious and expressive character in the entire novel, and de Castell has a lot of fun throwing him into the story in entertaining ways. A dangerous and near unstoppable figure, Imperious stole every scene he was in, and you honestly end up caring for this heroic mule more than any other character in the book. Throw in a cadre of mad monks, including an obsessive inquisitor, a wannabe general, and a lecherous sorcerer lord, and the cast of Crucible of Chaos proves to be really fun and intriguing to follow.

While I was tempted to grab a physical copy of Crucible of Chaos, I ended up getting the audiobook version instead, which proved to be an epic format to enjoy the book in. Coming in with a runtime of 12 and a half hours, this was a moderately long audiobook, but it was one I managed to power through in less than a week due to how caught up I got in the story. I found that the audiobook format really helped me to enjoy the complex narrative that de Castell came up with, and having it read out helped me to appreciate the depictions of the dark abbey and the elaborate mystery that much more. It helped that Crucible of Chaos was narrated by one of my favourite audiobook narrators, Joe Jameson, whose work I enjoyed so much in the Legacy of the Mercenary Kings audiobooks (The Kingdom of Liars, The Two-Faced Queen and The Voyage of the Forgotten). Jameson has a great voice for fantasy fiction, and I loved how he brings the elaborate story of Crucible of Chaos to life with his recitation. The narrator had some great voices for the various characters, and while a few are similar to those he used in other audiobooks his other works, they all expertly fit the character they were assigned to perfectly. I particularly enjoyed the distinctive and overly accented voice that Jameson gave to the main character, Estevar Borros, which perfectly fit his foreign origins, as well as his personality and physical attributes. This booming, cheerful, yet penetrating voice, really captured the protagonist, and I could always envision this amazing character whenever Jameson spoke. This, and other great voices, really helped to turn the Crucible of Chaos audiobook into something really special, and I cannot recommend this format enough to someone interested in this book.

Overall, Crucible of Chaos proved to be a remarkable and highly impressive novel from Sebastien de Castell that I had such an outstanding time reading. Combining a unique story with great characters and compelling elements from the Greatcoats universe, Crucible of Chaos was a truly epic novel that I could not get enough off. I look forward to seeing what other intriguing adventures occur in the rest of the Court of Shadows books, and this is swiftly becoming one of my favourite ongoing fantasy series.