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.

WWW Wednesday – 27 December 2023

On By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW Wednesday1 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:

Dark Arena by Jack Beaumont (ebook)

Dark Arena Cover

I started reading the early copy of Dark Arena that I have this week.  The sequel to Beaumont’s debut, The Frenchman, Dark Arena follows a French intelligence agent as he attempts to uncover a sinister plot.  I haven’t made a great deal of progress on Dark Arena yet, but I am so far enjoying seeing another story in Beaumont’s distinctive and meticulous style.  This should be a pretty good thriller and I am excited to finish off my first 2024 novel.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: The Fall of Cadia by Robert Rath (Audiobook)

Warhammer 40,000 - The Fall of Cadia Cover

I didn’t end up getting as much listening time as I would have wanted this week so I still haven’t completely finished off the awesome Warhammer 40,000 novel, The Fall of Cadia by Robert Rath yet.  A novelization of one of the key lore moments of Warhammer 40,000 fiction, The Fall of Cadia is a complex novel that covers the main moments of the 13th Black Crusade.  This is one of most significant Warhammer 40,000 novels of the year and I am very glad that they got Robert Rath to write it as he has been one of the most impressive authors of Warhammer fiction in recent years (check out my reviews for Assassinorum: Kingmaker and The Infinite and the Divine).  This is honestly proving to be one of the best Warhammer books of the year and I should knock it off in the next couple of days.

Amazon

What did you recently finish reading?

Deadly Game by Michael Caine (Trade Paperback)

Deadly Game Cover

A fun and fast-paced thriller from an unlikely author that I had a good time with, especially as Caine comes up with some very interesting villains.

Amazon

What do you think you’ll read next?

Argylle by Elly Conway

Argylle Cover

I am planning to dive into the intriguing novel, Argylle, next.  An interesting spy thriller that will tie into a 2024 film of the same name, Argylle should be a fantastic novel and I look forward to checking it out.

Amazon

 

Rebellion by Simon Scarrow

Rebellion Cover

I am hoping to read the latest Eagles of the Empire book by Simon Scarrow, Rebellion, before the end of the year.  This is one of my favourite historical fiction series and this latest novel sounds pretty damn awesome as it thrusts Scarrow’s long-running protagonists into the middle of Boudica’s revolt.

Amazon

 

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

Waiting on Wednesday – 2024 Adrian Tchaikovsky Science Fiction Novels

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Science Fiction, Waiting on Wednesday15 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 this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight three planned 2024 novels from one of my new favourite authors, Adrian Tchaikovsky.

Over the last couple of years, I have found myself really getting into the works of the impressive and inventive science fiction and fantasy author, Adrian Tchaikovsky, who has been wowing me with his fun and complex reads.  Known for his elaborate novels that combine great characters with unique settings, complicated ideas and intriguing social commentary, Tchaikovsky’s books are always extremely fun and deeply compelling.  Some of his best-known works including his Shadows of the Apt, Children of Time, Echoes of the Fall and The Final Architecture series, just to name a few, as well as a range of awesome standalone reads.

I personally have become familiar with Tchaikovsky through some of his more recent books.  This started last year when I had the pleasure of reading Tchaikovsky’s first foray into Warhammer 40,000 fiction with the dark and intriguing Day of Ascension, that focused on a nefarious Genestealer Cult on an oppressed planet.  Day of Ascension ended up being one of the best Warhammer 40,000 novels I have had the pleasure of reading, and it encouraged me to check out more books from Tchaikovsky.  This led me to the fantastic novella, Ogres, which told a fantastic story of a young man forced to grow up in a world ruled over by terrifying, technologically advanced ogres, and which ended up being quite the unique and memorable read.

However, the book that made me a particularly massive fan of Tchaikovsky is his awesome fantasy release, City of Last Chances.  Following a complex cohort of characters around an occupied city on the verge of revolution, City of Last Chances was an outstanding and highly addictive novel that had me hooked the entire way through.  City of Last Chances got an easy five-star rating from me, and I just featured it on my Top Ten Audiobooks of 2023 list.  Tchaikovsky followed City of Last Chances up in late 2023 with the awesome sequel, House of Open Wounds, which took one of the main characters from City of Last Chances and conscripted him to an unusual military hospital.  This resulted in an epic read that got another five-star rating and left me with an unstoppable need to read more books from Tchaikovsky.  Luckily for me, Tchaikovsky has three amazing sounding science fiction novels coming out in 2024 that I am going to make a big effort to read next year.

Alien Clay Cover

Amazon

The first of these books is the exciting and intense sounding science fiction thriller, Alien Clay.  Set for release in March 2024, Alien Clay will see an imprisoned scientist attempt to make a unique scientific discovery on an alien planet that has been turned into a notorious prison colony.

Plot Synopsis:

Alien Clay is a thrilling far-future adventure by acclaimed Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author Adrian Tchaikovsky.

The planet of Kiln is where the tyrannical Mandate keeps its prison colony, and for inmates the journey there is always a one-way trip. One such prisoner is Professor Arton Daghdev, xeno-ecologist and political dissident. Soon after arrival he discovers that Kiln has a secret. Humanity is not the first intelligent life to set foot there.

In the midst a ravenous, chaotic ecosystem are the ruins of a civilization, but who were the vanished builders and where did they go? If he can survive both the harsh rule of the camp commandant and the alien horrors of the world around him, then Arton has a chance at making a discovery that might just transform not only Kiln but distant Earth as well.

Alien Clay sounds like an awesome read and I love the idea of a character forced to survive threats both human and alien to make a significant discovery with far-reaching implications.  A harrowing prison thriller combined with complex science fiction elements has a lot of potential, and I imagine that Tchaikovsky is going to come up with some vicious and entertaining villains for the protagonist to come into conflict with.  Everything about Alien Clay sounds really awesome and I look forward to seeing just how messed up things get on Kiln.

Service Model Cover

Amazon

The next book that Tchaikovsky has coming out in 2024 is the fun and deadly science fiction novel, Service Model, which will see the author put his own spin to a well-known story idea.  Set for release in June 2024, Service Model has a fantastic plot about a domesticated robot who gains murderous sentience and then discovers the dark truth about the society it was built to support.

Plot Synopsis:

Murderbot meets Redshirts in a delightfully humorous tale of robotic murder from the Hugo-nominated author of Elder Race and Children of Time.

To fix the world they must first break it, further.

Humanity is a dying breed, utterly reliant on artificial labor and service.

When a domesticated robot gets a nasty little idea downloaded into its core programming, they murder their owner. The robot discovers they can also do something else they never did before: they can run away.

Fleeing the household they enter a wider world they never knew existed, where the age-old hierarchy of humans at the top is disintegrating into ruins and an entire robot ecosystem devoted to human wellbeing is having to find a new purpose.

Sometimes all it takes is a nudge to overcome the limits of your programming.

This is a Tchaikovsky book that I am particularly looking forward to, especially as it sounds like it’s going to be the author’s funniest and most insightful novel.  Any story that focuses on an intelligent robot who begins to realise that they don’t have to continue to take orders from humans is always going to be good, and I have no doubt Tchaikovsky will ensure that the funniest aspects of this human/robot relationship come to the fore.  I also look forward to seeing another Tchaikovsky dystopia, especially as one where humans have become too reliant on robots sounds perfectly feasible.  This will no doubt make the story hit even closer to home and Tchaikovsky will undoubtedly fill Service Model with cutting observations about the current state of humanity and the paths we find ourselves on.  Honestly, Service Model sounds like the book I am most going to enjoy from Tchaikovsky next year and I cannot wait to check it out.

Saturation Point Cover

Amazon

The final novel from Adrian Tchaikovsky coming out in 2024 that I want to highlight is the awesome science fiction adventure novel, Saturation Point.  A darker sounding read, in Saturation Point Tchaikovsky envisions a deadly new eco-system emerging on Earth where no human can survive, and naturally sends some human protagonists in.

Plot Synopsis:

A group of scientists and soldiers are hunted by mysterious enemies in a terrifying new climate thriller from the “Master of British SF”

Doctor Jasmine Marks is going back into hell.

The Hygrometric Dehabitation Region, or the “Zone,” is a growing band of rainforest on the equator, where the heat and humidity make it impossible for warm-blooded animals to survive. A human being without protection in the Zone is dead in minutes.

Twenty years ago, Marks went into the rainforest with a group of researchers led by Doctor Elaine Fell, to study the extraordinary climate and see if it could be used in agriculture. The only thing she learned was that the Zone was no place for people. There were deaths, and the programme was cut short.

Now, they’re sending her back in. A plane crash, a rescue mission, a race against time and the environment to bring out the survivors. But there are things Marks’s corporate masters aren’t telling her. The Zone keeps its secrets, and so does Doctor Fell…


Saturation Point sounds like it is going to be a great piece of science fiction, with some possible horror elements thrown in as well.  I love the idea of an extremely hostile climate system appearing on Earth, and I am sure there is going to be some interesting climate change discussions there, especially with corporations trying to exploit it.  Sending a group of soldiers and scientists into such a zone is a great premise for a classic horror tale and I am sure that Tchaikovsky will rise to the occasion and produce something gritty, exciting and with some clever commentary.  Saturation Point should prove to be a very awesome read and I am very much looking forward to it.

As you can see, Adrian Tchaikovsky is going to have a particularly busy year in 2024, with at least three books coming out.  All three of these intriguing science fiction novels, Alien Clay, Service Model and Saturation Point sound pretty damn impressive in their own unique way and I love the impressive and different plots that Tchaikovsky has come up for them.  Combine this with the author’s proven and often humour-laden writing ability, and these novels are going to be extremely epic.  It honestly wouldn’t surprise me if most of them end up being some of the best novels I read in 2024, and I cannot wait to see what crazy rabbit holes Tchaikovsky takes me down next.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Audiobooks of 2023

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, List59 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics.  The official topic for this list involved listing the ten most recent additions to your bookshelf, which is a topic I would usually try to address.  However, I am afraid I’m going to have to skip this topic and instead I will continue my annual end of year wrap up of some of the best books of 2023.  In previous weeks I have highlighted some of the best pre-2023 novels, best new-to-me-authors and the best 2023 sequels I read in the last year.  However, this week I am going to look at something near and dear to my heart, the best audiobooks of 2023. 

Readers of this blog only need to check out my extensive audiobook category to know that I have a lot of love for the audiobook format.  In my opinion, the audiobook is often the best way to experience a good book and in many cases this format makes a novel far more enjoyable.  As a result, I listened to quite a few audiobooks this year, and while a good chunk of them were books released before 2023 and featured in my Throwback Thursday posts, most were released this year.  There were some truly outstanding and impressive audiobooks released in 2023 and I knew going in that I was going to have an extremely hard time coming up with a final version of this list.

For this list I have only included audiobooks released in 2023 that I have listened to, which left me with a long list of extremely impressive audiobooks which I wanted to include in this post.  To help cut this down, I considered a range of factors, including the quality of the original novel, the skill of the narrator, production value, pacing and other features.  Looking at all this I was eventually able to cut the list down to the absolute best 10 audiobooks, with my typical generous honourable mentions section.  I had to make some very hard decisions here, and I ended up excluding several extremely good audiobooks from the main list.  Still, I think it really represents the best audiobooks I enjoyed this year and there are some amazing productions below.

Honourable Mention:

The King of the Spoil, written by Jonathan D. Beer and narrated by Gabrielle Nellis-Pain

The King of the Spoil Cover

A fun and intense Warhammer 40,000 book that effortlessly blends gothic science fiction with a great crime fiction narrative.

Amazon

 

The Last Kingdom, written by Steve Berry and narrated by Scott Brick

The Last Kingdom (Steve Berry) Cover

Intriguing European history and modern-day espionage combine perfectly in this new Cotton Malone novel by Steve Berry, which is expertly brought to life by veteran narrator Scott Brick

Amazon

 

Cypher: Lord of the Fallen, written by John French and narrated by Jon Rand

Cypher - Lord of the Fallen Cover

The very talented Jon Rand does a wonderful job of bringing one of the most mysterious Warhammer 40,000 figures to life in this cryptic and fast-paced audiobook by John French.

Amazon

 

Murtagh, written by Christopher Paolini and narrated by Gerard Doyle

Murtagh Cover

Christopher Paolini cleverly adds to his iconic Inheritance Cycle with original series audiobook narrator, Gerard Doyle, returning as well, bringing some familiar and compelling voices to this epic piece of fantasy fiction.

Amazon

Top Ten List:

Son of the Poison Rose/Cave 13, written by Jonathan Maberry and narrated by Ray Porter

Son of the Poison Rose and Cave 13 Cover

In 2023, we were lucky to get two novels from one of my favourite authors, Jonathan Maberry, as he continued some of his best series.  These novels were the dark fantasy epic, Son of the Poison Rose and the science fiction thriller, Cave 13, which continued the outstanding Rogue Team International series.  Both books were awesome in their own way, but I chose to combine their audiobooks into a single entry here, due to the fact both shared the same narrator in the legendary Ray Porter.  Porter, who is one of my favourite audiobook narrators, is synonymous with Maberry, having lent his voice to most of his books, and he always provides an exceptional performance that works so well with Maberry’s style and captures his complex and damaged protagonists.  The combination of Maberry and Porter is always a winner, and the resulting audiobooks are something extremely special.  As such, both come highly recommended, and both are some of the best audiobooks of the year.

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Holly, written by Stephen King and narrated by Justine Lupe

Holly Cover

I have been really enjoying some of the legendary Stephen King’s more recent books and my favourite so far is his latest novel, Holly.  A continuation of the adventures of Holly Gibney that started in Mr Mercedes, Holly was a complex and dark thriller that saw the protagonist investigate a missing persons case, only to discover something truly disturbing and horrifying.  This was such an incredible novel, that featured great characters and some shocking twists, and I can honestly say that my love for Holly was even more enhanced because of its amazing audiobook as the producers cleverly brought in actress Justine Lupe to narrate the book.  Lupe, who played the character of Holly Gibney in the Mr Mercedes television series, once again dove into the character and really brought her to life.  Combined with her great take on several other impressive characters, including two of King’s most surprisingly sinister villains, and Holly was a joy to listen to from start to finish, and indeed proved to be an excellent accompaniment for a fun road trip.

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The Will of the Many, written by James Islington and narrated by Euan Morton

The Will of the Many Cover

One of my favourite fantasy novels of 2023 was the inventive and exciting release from Australian author James Islington, The Will of the Many.  A powerful read that saw a clever teenager with secrets attend a prestigious magical academy while also trying to bring down a destructive empire, The Will of the Many was one of the most impressive books of the year and I got really addicted to its elaborate storytelling and unique new world.  The audiobook version of The Will of the Many proved to be extremely good, especially as it allowed me to absorb more of the compelling world detail and envision some of the more elaborate elements of the story.  Narrator Euan Morton also provided a unique voice to the story, and this ended up being on of the best fantasy audiobooks of the year.

Amazon

 

The Last Devil to Die, written by Richard Osman and narrated by Fiona Shaw

The Last Devil to Die Cover

After wowing me with his previous Thursday Murder Club books, including The Thursday Murder Club (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2020), The Man Who Died Twice (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021) and The Bullet That Missed (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022), Richard Osman produced another outstanding release this year with The Last Devil to Die.  Thanks to its clever mystery, subtle humour, and some of the best character work you likely to see, The Last Devil to Die was Osman’s best book yet, and I cannot emphasise how wonderful and moving it ended up being.  The audiobook version proved to be particularly good, as they once again brought back actress Fiona Shaw to narrate.  Shaw has an amazing handle on all the characters, and her excellent voice conveyed all the intense and powerful emotional that this book contained.  I honestly teared up in placed while listening to this audiobook and I cannot recommend it enough as a result.

Amazon

 

The Fall of Cadia, written by Robert Rath and narrated by Mark Elstob

Warhammer 40,000 - The Fall of Cadia Cover

I’m still listening to this next entry; however, I’m having such a great time with it that I had to include it here.  This book is a fantastic Warhammer 40,000 book, The Fall of Cadia.  Covering one of the most important events from the Warhammer 40,000 canon, the end of the 13th Black Crusade, The Fall of Cadia follows the epic last stand of the fortress planet of Cadia to the forces of Chaos.  Massive in its scope and carnage, The Fall of Cadia is a difficult book to pull together but Robert Rath, who massively impressed me with his prior novels Assassinorum: Kingmaker and The Infinite and the Divine, does an incredible job of tying everything together into an exciting and manageable read.  I am particularly loving the audiobook version as narrator Mark Elstob moves the lengthy novel along at an excellent pace and provides a huge range of voices to cover all the over-the-top personalities featured in the book.  His narration also perfectly captures the full intensity of the many battles featured within The Fall of Cadia and he makes it sound as epic and brutal as possible.  I am loving every second with this audiobook and I look forward to seeing how well the big finish comes out.

Amazon

 

City of Last Chances, written by Adrian Tchaikovsky and narrated by David Thorpe

City of Last Chances Cover

Probably one of the cleverest fantasy books I got to read in 2023 was City of Last Chances by the unstoppable and highly talented Adrian Tchaikovsky.  Set in an occupied city loaded with rogues, revolutionaries and other lost souls, City of Last Chances was a clever, character-driven read, loaded with unique personal stories and unusual scenarios.  This fascinating and entertaining narrative was expertly expressed by narrator David Thorpe who really dove into the strange characters and showcased all the absurdities and deep dramas perfectly.  A wonderful audiobook from start to finish that I honestly could not stop listening to.

Amazon

 

Burner, written by Mark Greaney and narrated by Jay Snyder

Burner Cover

One of the leading authors of spy thriller fiction, Mark Greaney, produced another outstanding entry in his Gray Man series this year with Burner.  Setting his infamous protagonist against both his former lover and a desperate Russian special forces unit, Burner was an amazing and intense read that expertly and tastefully utilised contemporary events to tell a complex story.  The resulting action, spy craft, personal drama and carnage was expertly showcased by narrator Jay Snyder, who has lent his voice to all the Gray Man books.  The resulting audiobook was extremely moving and intense, and Burner was one of Greaney’s best releases yet.

Amazon

 

The Shadow Casket, written by Chris Wooding and narrated by Simon Bubb

The Shadow Casket Cover

The longest audiobook I listened to in 2023 was the epic fantasy novel, The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding.  The sequel to Wooding’s previous novel, The Ember Blade, The Shadow Casket was an outstanding listen that saw a desperate group of freedom fighters try to turn the tide against their relentless oppressors.  Perfectly continuing the story set up in The Ember Blade while also featuring some impressive character interactions and a ton of worldbuilding, The Shadow Casket was a brilliant book, and I was so glad to get a continuation of this series.  I deeply appreciated the audiobook version of The Shadow Casket, narrated by Simon Bubb, as it really helped me absorb this massive read so much better.  Bubb did an outstanding job of making this lengthy story easy to follow, and I loved the fitting voices he gifted to all the complex characters.  A captivating and extensive listen, I don’t think I would have enjoyed The Shadow Casket as much in any other format.

Amazon

 

The Traitor, written by Anthony Ryan and narrated by Steven Brand

The Traitor Cover

Bestselling fantasy author, Anthony Ryan, brought his Covenant of Steel trilogy to an awesome end this year with The Traitor.  The fantastic follow-up to The Pariah and The Martyr, The Traitor showcased the end of Ryan’s scribe protagonist’s big adventure, and the inevitable fall to darkness that accompanied it.  Intense, highly detailed, and featuring an outstanding antagonist, The Traitor was such a good conclusion, and I had such an incredible time listening to the audiobook version.  Steven Brand, who did such a great job narrating The Pariah and The Martyr, provided another brilliant bout of narrating in this finale, and he perfectly captured the protagonist’s despair and determination as they fought to do the right thing one final time.  A highly recommended audiobook and the only way to enjoy the Covenant of Steel books.

Amazon

 

The Lion: Son of the Forest, written by Mike Brooks and narrated by Timothy Watson

The Lion - Son of the Forest Cover

The final entry on this list is another Warhammer 40,000 audiobook, The Lion: Son of the Forest by Mike Brooks.  Brooks, who is quicky becoming one of the best authors of Warhammer 40,000 fiction (a quick shoutout to Brook’s other 2023 release, Warboss), sought to bring back one of the canon’s most significant characters, and did so with this deeply personal and symbolism laced novel.  Intense, moving, and featuring some compelling characters, The Lion: Son of the Forest was extremely good, especially in the audiobook format narrated by Timothy Watson.  While all Warhammer 40,000 audiobooks are pretty special and fun, I really enjoyed this one as Watson captures the gravitas of the main character perfectly while also highlighting the complex plot and pivotal action.  One of the best Warhammer 40,000 audiobooks of 2023 as a result, this is really worth a listen. 

Amazon

 

Well that is the end of this latest Top Ten list, and as you can see, I have been lucky enough to listen to some awesome audiobooks this year (although I clearly focused a little too much on Warhammer fiction).  All the above audiobooks are extremely good and I would highly recommend each of them in their audiobook format.  Let me know what your favourite audiobooks of 2023 were in the comments below, and make sure to check back next week to see what my overall favourite novels of the year were.

Book Haul – 22 December 2023

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Book HaulLeave a comment

We are nearing the end of 2023, and it has been a pretty exceptional year for books, all things considered.  While the year is wrapping up and we are heading into the Christmas break, I am still receiving a few good books here and there, which I thought I would quickly highlight in my final Book Haul post of 2023. This final list includes a couple of late 2023 releases, some books I picked up myself, as well as several great novels from early 2024 that I received from both publishers and Netgalley.  This worked out to be a pretty eclectic collection of books, but they should make for excellent reads, and I am looking forward to all of them.

Deadly Game by Michael Caine

Deadly Game Cover

The first book that I want to highlight in this Book Haul post is the fun thriller, Deadly Game.  Set around the theft of nuclear material in London, Deadly Game is a fantastic novel that I was very happy to receive, mainly because it was written by legendary actor Michael Caine.  I have actually already read Deadly Game (literally finished it an hour ago), and it was a pretty good debut, with a captivating narrative and distinctive writing style.  I am hoping to get a review up for Deadly Game soon, and it ended up being a great read.

Amazon

 

Argylle by Elly Conway

Argylle Cover

The next book I recently received is potentially the most intriguing and mysterious, with the spy thriller Argylle.  A compelling book set around a maverick spy attempting to stop a series of devastating events, Argylle sounds pretty fun.  However, it’s the behind-the-scenes elements of Argylle that may prove to be the most fascinating, especially as there is a major movie adaptation for this book coming out in a few months, as well as some serious questions about who the author of this novel is (there are some very interesting theories online). I am hoping to read Argylle in the next week or two and I am very, very curious to see how the book ties into the upcoming movie, as well as who actually wrote this debut novel.

Amazon

 

Saevus Corax Captures the Castle by K. J. Parker

Saevus Corax Captures the Castle Cover

After having an amazing time reading the Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead, I went out and grabbed the next two Saevus Corax books, including Saevus Corax Captures the Castle.  A cool trilogy from one of my favourite fantasy authors, K. J. Parker, all three Saevus Corax books were released within a month of each other, which was a very interesting choice.  Following professional battlefield looter, Saevus Corax, as he gets dragged into all manner of over-the-top trouble, the first book in this series was very fun and it was easily one of my favourite books of 2023.  I am hoping to get into the sequels soon, and I have no doubt that both of them will be extremely fun, highly detailed, and featuring some unique stories.  The second book in the trilogy, Saevus Corax Captures the Castle sounds extremely awesome, as the tricky Saevus Corax finds himself in the awkward position of having to besiege a castle to survive.

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Saevus Corax Gets Away With Murder by K. J. Parker

Saevus Corax Gets Away With Murder Cover

The other Saevus Corax book I got was Saevus Corax Gets Away With Murder.  The final entry in the trilogy, this novel will see the titular character try to finally retire, while also trying to get away with murder.  No doubt another funny and clever read, I am looking forward to this novel and it should be extremely awesome.

Amazon

 

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

The Tainted Cup Cover

I was lucky enough to get an early copy of the new Robert Jackson Bennett novel, The Tainted Cup.  One of the most anticipated fantasy novels of 2024, The Tainted Cup will see two unique investigators attempt to solve an impossible magical death in one of the author’s elaborate fantasy worlds.  The Tainted Cup has the potential to be one of the top books of 2024 and I cannot wait to dive into it.

Amazon

 

A Clean Kill by Steven Konkoly

A Clean Kill Cover

A fantastic and intriguing thriller that sees a FBI agent attempt to stop a deadly serial killer leaving a swathe of bodies alongside America’s roads.  A Clean Kill sounds like an amazing piece of crime fiction and I am very keen to check it out.

Amazon

 

Behind a Closed Door by J. D. Barker

Behind A Closed Door Cover

The final book I recently received was the fantastic horror thriller, Behind A Closed Door by J. D. Barker.  Set around a malicious app that forces its participants to complete in deadly games, Behind A Closed Door sounds like an intense and compelling novel and I am excited to dive into the author’s twisted tale.  Barker is a great author, and I have previously enjoyed some of his collaborative work, including Death of the Black Widow and Dracul.  I look forward to reading this solo novel from him, especially as it sounds very awesome and dark.

Amazon

 

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

WWW Wednesday – 20 December 2023

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:

Deadly Game by Michael Caine (Trade Paperback)

Deadly Game Cover

I started reading the awesome and fun thriller, Deadly Game, this week.  Written by legendary actor Michael Caine, Deadly Game has an intriguing plot about an elite police unit chasing down stolen nuclear material.  I am about halfway through Deadly Game at the moment, and it is proving to be a rather interesting book in a style that is definitely reminiscent of Michael Caine.  I’m rather enjoying Deadly Game and I look forward to seeing how Caine wraps it up.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: The Fall of Cadia by Robert Rath (Audiobook)

Warhammer 40,000 - The Fall of Cadia Cover

I’m still going with the fantastic Warhammer 40,000 novel, The Fall of Cadia by Robert Rath, which is proving to be one hell of a listen.  A novelization of one of the key lore moments of the Warhammer 40,000 canon, The Fall of Cadia is a complex novel that covers the main moments of the 13th Black Crusade.  This is one of most significant Warhammer 40,000 novels of the year and I am very glad that they got Robert Rath to write it as he has been one of the most impressive authors of Warhammer fiction in recent years (check out my reviews for Assassinorum: Kingmaker and The Infinite and the Divine).  I have made a ton of progress on The Fall of Cadia this week and this is honestly proving to be one of the best Warhammer books of the year. Intense, full of action and featuring some great characters, The Fall of Cadia is a masterful novel and I am hoping to finish it off in the next week.

Amazon

What did you recently finish reading?

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose (Trade Paperback)

The Mystery Guest Cover

I managed to knock off the new murder mystery from Nita Prose, The Mystery Guest this week. The intriguing sequel to Prose’s first novel, The Maid, The Mystery Guest was an excellent and compelling novel that I had a good time with.

Amazon

What do you think you’ll read next?

Dark Arena by Jack Beaumont

Dark Arena Cover

I am probably going to get a head start on my 2024 reading in the next week by checking out the early copy of Dark Arena that I have.  The sequel to Beaumont’s debut, The Frenchman, Dark Arena will once again follow a French intelligence agent as he attempts to uncover a sinister plot.  I have a lot of love for The Frenchman and I look forward to reading another book in Beaumont’s distinctive and meticulous style.

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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.

Quick Review – The Night House by Jo Nesbo

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Horror, Quick Review1 Comment

The Night House Cover

Publisher: Harvill Seeker (Trade Paperback – 26 September 2023)

Series: Standalone

Length: 263 pages

My Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

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Earlier this year I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the intriguing new novel from international bestselling author Jo Nesbo, The Night House.  Nesbo is an author whose work I have been interested in checking out for a while as I have heard a lot of about his intriguing crime fiction stories and thrillers.  I was really excited to check out something from Nesbo this year, and whilst The Night House is somewhat different from the author’s more typical work, it proved to be a very fascinating and compelling read with a deep story behind it.

Plot Synopsis:

WHEN THE VOICES CALL, DON’T ANSWER…

In the wake of his parents’ tragic deaths fourteen-year-old Richard Elauved has been sent to live with his aunt and uncle in the remote town of Ballantyne.

Richard quickly earns a reputation as an outcast, and when a classmate named Tom goes missing, everyone suspects the new, angry boy is responsible. No one believes him when he says the telephone booth out by the edge of the woods sucked Tom into the receiver like something out of a horror movie.

No one, that is, except Karen, a beguiling fellow outsider who encourages Richard to pursue clues the police refuse to investigate. He traces the number that Tom prank called from the phone booth to an abandoned house in the woods. There he catches a glimpse of a terrifying face in the window. And then the voices start . . .

When another classmate disappears, Richard must find a way to prove his innocence as he grapples with the dark magic that is possessing Ballantyne.

Then again, Richard may not be the most reliable narrator of his own story.


The Night House was a very unique read that combines several disparate genre elements and turns them into a personal and moving novel set around a damaged protagonist.  The book is broken into three parts with three different, if closely related, stories being told in each section of the book.  The first story is a great coming-of-age tale that sees an extremely angry teenager, Richard Elauved, witness a series of extremely graphic and strange deaths around town, seemingly linked to a phone number he called as a prank.  Blamed for these apparent murders, Richard tries to prove his innocence and face off against a mysterious and dangerous evil threatening his town.  There is something very reminiscent of classic Stephen King in this early part of the book, and Nesbo moves this horror infused storyline at a very quick pace, setting Richard up against terrors and mysterious manipulations, with many of his friends dying all around him.  There is an interesting conclusion to this part, which really explores the protagonist’s deeper feelings and desire to be the hero, and it proved to be a great self-contained story.

Things start to take an interesting turn as Nesbo suddenly jumps into a whole new story.  The second part of The Night House puts a different tint on the prior events as an older Richard appears and shows that not everything is as it seems.  There is a great central story that takes some dark twists and turns, while you also get some intriguing continuation of character elements from the first part of the book, especially towards Richard’s past and the events that formed him.  Nesbo introduces some key revelations, hints and intriguing differences between the protagonist’s memories of events and what other characters remember, all of which lead up to the big twist revealed in the third part of the book.

I’m not going to dive too deeply into the third and final section of The Night House, as to do so would reveal too many spoilers, but it really ties everything together in an extremely clever way.  The overarching secrets, conflicting stories and differing backgrounds are all worked into this short final part of the book, and you get a complete story as the gaps in Richard’s unreliable narration are filled in.  This part of the book really brings the story full circle, and you can fully appreciate how clever Nesbo has been in the prior sections of the book, especially with how he was simultaneously telling unique stories while also setting up this finale.  There was some brilliant character work involved in building up this finale, especially when it comes to trauma and how it impacts behaviour, and I really enjoyed how the horror elements for the prior parts of The Night House had some great symbolism for the book’s conclusion.

I ended up having a great time with The Night House, and it proves to be a quick and interesting read to get through.  Thanks to its excellent character work and the clever way Nesbo sets up the story, The Night House is one of the more unique reads of 2023, and I really appreciated the compelling and heartfelt story that Nesbo told, especially as he managed to work some memorable horror moments into it.  A moving and compelling read that proves to be an excellent introduction to Nesbo’s writing.

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Vendetta by Sarah Barrie

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Thriller10 Comments

Vendetta Cover

Publisher: HQ (Trade Paperback – 15 November 2023)

Series: Lexi Winter – Book Three

Length: 392 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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One of Australia’s most impressive crime fiction authors, Sarah Barrie, returns with the third book in her gritty Lexi Winter series, Vendetta.

For the last couple of years one of my favourite new Australian crime fiction series has been the Lexi Winter books by Sarah Barrie.  Set in Sydney and central New South Wales, the series follows Lexi Winter, a vigilante hacker who bears a massive and righteous hatred for child molesters.  The first book in the series, Unforgiven, saw Lexi attempt to take down a serial killing paedophile with connections to her complex past in a dark and bloody read.  This first book in the series served as a great introduction to Lexi and her police supporting characters, while also giving some fantastic insights into the events that formed her.  The second book, Retribution, saw Lexi as a newly initiated police officer who still broke the rules, especially when it came to hunting down her nemesis and destroying everyone who helped him.  The first two books in this series are so damn good, and I have been keen to see how this series would continue.  I recently got my wish as I just finished off the third book in the series, Vendetta, which proved to be an exceptional and dark read.

After taking down a notorious crime family, maverick rookie police officer and occasional vigilante hacker Lexi Winter is riding high.  However, a sudden phone call is going to take her down a dark path that will force her to revisit some of the worst parts of her past.  Two old friends she owes deeply are in trouble with a well-connected local motorcycle club, Chaos Reigns, and the only way Lexi can save them is to go undercover and pretend to work for the gang.

However, as Lexi begins her new assignment, she finds herself confronting a long-hidden ghost from her past.  Years ago, Lexi found a family with another outlaw motorcycle club, the Combat Crew, who harnessed her natural talent with computers and taught her every dirty trick she knows.  With members of Combat Crew making up the senior levels of Chaos Reigns, Lexi finds herself forced to deal with hardened criminals who know more about her troubled history than anyone else.  Forced to assume her old persona, Lexi works to once again earn their trust, but not everyone is convinced that she is on the level, especially when her connections with the police are discovered.  Worse, members of her police team are convinced that her undeclared past with Combat Crew makes her too much of a liability and soon Lexi’s loyalties are tested like never before.

But suspicions and secrets are the least of Lexi’s problems when she finds herself in the middle of a series of explosive attacks aimed at the members of Chaos Reigns.  The former president of Combat Crew, Arthur Cronin, has been released from prison and is more than willing to blow up anyone he feels was responsible for the murder of his wife and child.  Caught between deranged bikies and suspicious friends, Lexi must use all her skills to survive and save who she can.  But as the case takes more from her and more of her colleagues begin to turn on her, Lexi will be forced to finally decide where her loyalties belong and what side of the law she truly exists on.

Sarah Barrie continues to showcase why she is one of Australia’s fastest rising crime fiction stars with another powerful and gritty read.  Vendetta had one of the strongest plots of the entire Lexi Winter series so far, as not only did it present the reader with a great murder mystery/thriller plot but it also featured some intriguing character work.  Barrie does an excellent job of moving the plot of Vendetta away from the previous novels, and the interesting redirect towards a motorcycle club, a firm favourite villain organisation in Australian crime fiction, makes for an interesting change of pace.

The main story proves to be an intricate and compelling mixture of character driven narratives as the plot jumps across several excellent characters, most of whom were introduced in the prior novels.  The story primarily follows troubled protagonist Lexi Winter who is forced to go undercover in a motorcycle club to save some old friends.  Initially pretending to be a criminal, Lexi soon finds her cover blown and must work all sides as she tries to retain both the trust of her police colleagues and her old associates.  Having the protagonist forced back with the bikies who trained her was a masterstroke from Barrie, and I loved how conflicted it made both her and the reader, as you don’t know which way she’s going to turn.  Barrie really hammers home the importance of Lexi’s chapters by showing everything from her perspective in the first person, and you really feel connected to her adventure as a result.  The author makes things even more interesting by introducing a crazed bikie leader seeking revenge, internal police politics making things difficult for Lexi, and personal conflicts amongst the protagonists finally coming to the surface in some damaging ways.

The last half of Vendetta is probably the best.  After the great set-up at the start, Lexi is fully imbedded in Chaos Reigns and is committing all manner of criminal acts for them.  Watching Lexi at her worst was so damn powerful, especially as she appears to turn on her friends, and the resulting drama, anger and conflict made for some excellent reading.  You are constantly on your edge of your seat as the various story elements start to come together and the police start to close in on Lexi, Chaos Reigns’ criminal actions, and the mad bomber.  Things get pretty dark at times, and Barrie works in some big twists.  I saw a few of these coming, but the main reveals at the end were cleverly hidden and well set up in the first half of the book.  I loved the exciting and compelling end to the plot that allowed the protagonist to really shine and setting up some interesting future adventures.  Everything about this story was extremely awesome, and I really got invested in the high-stakes plot and the deeper personal aspects that resulted as well.

Despite the central crime being unconnected to the main series antagonist, Vendetta was a great Lexi Winter novel that masterfully moved the series and characters along.  I honestly think that the series needed a book with a different investigative target at this point in the ongoing narrative, and it builds up anticipation for the next interaction with the main villain in future entries.  The change in focus also allows Vendetta to be enjoyed more as a standalone novel than the second book, although I did notice a few minor plot gaps from the previous entries that Barrie could have done a better job exploring.  Barrie also continues some of the prevailing themes of the previous book, including comparisons between vigilantism and official police work, as Lexi tries to decide what side of the law best works for her to get her required revenge.  Naturally, those readers who checked out the prior novels are probably going to get a lot more out of Vendetta, and indeed it helped to explain certain character actions from the previous book that never quite made sense to me.  However, Vendetta is honestly a great and gritty piece of Australian fiction anyone can enjoy.

Once again, a major highlight of this series is the outstanding cast of compelling and damaged protagonists, each of whom has their own unique stories.  This is particularly true of the series’ titular protagonist, Lexi Winter, who Barrie has turned into quite a conflicted and complex figure.  We have already seen quite a lot of Lexi’s dark past in the previous books, especially in Unforgiven, and Vendetta builds on this extremely well, giving us insights into her criminal past, including the origins of her hacking abilities.  I loved how well this past was explored and featured throughout Vendetta, and it gave this already fantastic character some extra layers, especially it explores why she is more reliant to do things on her own then go through official channels.  This complex past with the motorcycle club ensured that Lexi had a particularly compelling and exciting storyline in Vendetta as she finds herself caught between her prior loyalties and the friends she made in the last two books.  As such, the reader spends much of the story unsure whose side Lexi is truly on, especially when key police characters turn against her, and I was constantly on the edge of my seat waiting to see how this would turn out.  I think Barrie resolved this extremely well, as Lexi’s strong moral compass always guided her along the right path, and I also enjoyed how parts of Lexi’s narrative come full circle, especially when she finds herself a protégé.  There is also some intriguing examination of Lexi’s view on relationships and love, much of which is impacted by her past, and I appreciated the compelling and mostly tasteful way that Barrie explored this.  I cannot wait to see how Lexi’s story continues in the future, as she is without a doubt the best character in the series.

In addition to Lexi, Vendetta features a brilliant and compelling cast of additional characters, many of whom have appeared in prior novels in the series.  Barrier introduces some great development and personal drama to surround these characters and it works to enhance the already powerful story.  Detective Senior Sergeant Finn Carson is once again very solid as the male lead of the book, and Barrie makes good use of his unique friendship/relationship with Lexi to build up some serious drama as he tries to work out her actions and motivations.  Lexi’s mentor, Detective Inspector Rachael Langly, also proves to be compelling figure in Vendetta, especially as, after going to bat for Lexi time and time again, it looks like her protégé has turned on her.  Finally, I was particularly happy that we got some further developments around Detective Sergeant Lisa “Cass” Cassidy.  Cass was an interesting inclusion in the second novel, although for some unexplained reason her main character attribute was being dismissive and hostile towards Lexi.  Barrie expanded on this in Vendetta, as Cass was revealed to have a hidden connections to Lexi’s past which is explored in this current case.  As such, Cass spends much of the book trying to hide her involvement with Lexi and her prior mistakes involving the bikies.  This adds some major fire and drama to the plot, and while Cass proves to be one of the more unlikable characters in the story Barrie masterfully paints her as a victim, and I deeply appreciated her journey and the deeper pain behind her actions.  Throw in a great collection of bikies and other criminals, including her old mentor and protector, and the intense personal connections in Vendetta really jump up, resulting in an outstanding read.

Sarah Barrie continues to showcase why she is one of Australia’s best current crime fiction authors with the outstanding third Lexi Winter book.  Featuring a particularly strong story that takes the reader on a dark journey in both the past and the present, Vendetta is a great read that had me hooked all the way to the end.  Loaded with violence, bad decisions and damaged characters, Vendetta one of Barrie’s best novels yet and I cannot recommend it enough.

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Quick Review – The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Murder Mystery, Quick Review3 Comments

The Mystery Guest Cover

Publisher: Harper Collins (Trade Paperback – 29 November 2023)

Series: Molly the Maid – Book Two

Length: 327 pages

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Last year I was lucky enough to receive a copy of The Maid, the debut novel of Nita Prose, which proved to be an excellent read.  Following a cleaning obsessed maid with a unique outlook on life who gets accused of a murder at her fancy hotel, The Maid was a fantastic read that made great use of its unique protagonist and her compelling personality.  The Maid ended up begin great book and one of my favourite debuts of 2022.  As such, I was pretty excited when I received a copy of Prose’s new novel, The Mystery Guest.  A sequel to The Maid, The Mystery Guest introduces a new compelling mystery that Prose’s protagonist needs to uncover.

Plot Synopsis:

Molly Gray is not like anyone else. With her flair for cleaning and proper etiquette, she has risen through the ranks of the glorious five-star Regency Grand Hotel to become the esteemed Head Maid. But just as her life reaches a pinnacle state of perfection, her world is turned upside down when J.D. Grimthorpe, the world-renowned mystery author, drops dead—very dead—on the hotel’s tea room floor.

When Detective Stark, Molly’s old foe, investigates the author’s unexpected demise, it becomes clear that this death was murder most foul. Suspects abound, and everyone wants to who killed J.D. Grimthorpe? Was it Lily, the new Maid-in-Training? Or was it Serena, the author’s secretary? Could Mr. Preston, the hotel’s beloved doorman, be hiding something? And is Molly really as innocent as she seems?

As the case threatens the hotel’s pristine reputation, Molly knows she alone holds the key to unlocking the killer’s identity. But that key is buried deep in her past—because long ago, she knew J.D. Grimthorpe. Molly begins to comb her memory for clues, revisiting her childhood and the mysterious Grimthorpe mansion where she and her dearly departed Gran once worked side by side. With the entire hotel under investigation, Molly must solve the mystery post-haste. If there’s one thing Molly knows for sure, it’s that dirty secrets don’t stay buried forever…

This was an interesting and fast-paced follow-up to The Maid that I’m glad I decided to check out.  Prose does a wonderful job reintroducing the character of Molly Gray, and the new mystery surrounding her is very clever, distinctive and featuring some fun meta commentary on mystery writers.

Starting off strong with the sudden poisoning of the mystery writer in question, you quickly get sucked into the case, especially when it becomes clear that Molly is hiding a personal connection to the victim.  As with the first book in the series, Prose splits the narrative across time periods, with one part of the story set in the present as Molly inadvertently starts to investigate the case, and the other set back in the protagonist’s past, exploring her upbringing and the history she has with the victim.  I liked the split between these two parts of the story, and the author does a good job of working key clues and character motivations into the scenes set in the past, which come full circle by the end of the book. I did think that the scenes set in the present were a little too similar in tone and content to that of the first book, with Molly coming into conflict with Detective Stark, Cheryl being an unnecessary cow, and a series of misunderstandings forcing Molly further into the investigation.  However, the dives into Molly’s past helped to cut this familiarity to an acceptable degree, and I really enjoyed learning more about the protagonist’s past.

Both these story arcs blend well into a complete and intriguing narrative and I had a fantastic time seeing the entire story coming together.  The mystery itself was quite strong, and I liked the unique motivations and characters that emerged as a result.  The way the crime was solved thanks to Molly’s attention to detail and knowledge of the maidly arts was a little over the top, but I can forgive that considering the plot and the characters involved.  Prose also works in some subtle but compelling character arcs that see several existing and new supporting figures go in some interesting directions, and I particularly enjoyed the changing attitudes of Detective Stark after how portrayal in the previous novel.  An overall clever and strong murder mystery book, I really enjoyed seeing how this all came together.

I main highlight of The Mystery Guest is protagonist Molly Gray, who is one of the more unique and entertaining crime fiction characters you are likely to see.  An obsessive, socially awkward woman with a unique outlook on life and human interactions, Molly has found her calling as a maid, especially as it allows her to clean up other people’s messes.  Much of The Mystery Guest’s uniqueness comes from the way that Molly observes her world and interacts with the people in it.  Her ability to remember small details is matched by her inability to understand people’s emotions and motivations, which can often get her into trouble.  I felt that Prose did a good job of expanding on Molly’s personality in The Mystery Guest, and it was great to see become more assertive and capable, especially after receiving her coveted promotion to Head Maid.  At the same time, Prose also dives into Molly’s childhood, which, while it is a little convenient that she had connections with the victim, provides more insights into Molly’s personality and some of the events that formed her.  I deeply enjoyed how Prose worked to grow Molly as a person in this sequel while also maintaining her atypical outlook and mentality, and it will be interesting to see how this character is developed in the future.  I do worry that Prose is going to get diminishing returns on how much one can enjoy Molly’s character as the series continues, but I’ll be happy to be proven wrong about that.

Overall, The Mystery Guest proves be an intriguing and captivating sequel to The Maid and I enjoyed the new mystery that Nita Prose came up with.  Making great use of her main character and presenting a complex, domestic murder, The Mystery Guest was a fantastic read that you can make quick work of.

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