Originally published in the Canberra Weekly on 20 February 2025.
A copy of this column also appeared on the Canberra Daily website.
Make sure to check out my extended reviews of Four Ruined Realms, Unhallowed Halls and An Ethical Guide to Murder.
Category: Fantasy
Quick Review – Unhallowed Halls by Lili Wilkinson
Publisher: Allen & Unwin (ebook– 18 February 2025)
Series: Standalone
Length: 464 pages
My Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars
Prepare for magic and drama with the young adult, dark academia novel from the always entertaining Lili Wilkinson, Unhallowed Halls. Wilkinson is a pretty awesome Australian author, who has previously wowed me with some complex and memorable young adult novels, including the twisted The Erasure Initiative and the very impressive After the Lights Go Out. Unhallowed Halls was an interesting new novel from Wilkinson that followed a young protagonist who finds herself enrolled in a mysterious and isolated English boarding school.
Plot Synopsis:
A teen girl travels to an exclusive boarding school located deep within the Scottish moorlands after a deadly incident at her old school, but the wood-paneled halls of Agathion are built over centuries of secrets—including an ancient society which may have ties to demonic magic—in this dark academia fantasy perfect for fans of Curious Tides.
Page Whittaker has always been an outcast. And after the deadly incident that destroyed her single friendship at her old school, she needs a fresh start. Which is why when she receives a scholarship offer from Agathion College, an elite boarding school folded deep within the moors of Scotland, she doesn’t even consider turning it down.
Agathion is everything Page has ever a safe haven full of dusty books, steaming cups of tea and rigorous intellectual debate. And for the first time in her life, Page has even managed to become part of a close group of friends. Cyrus, Ren, Gideon, Lacey and Oak help her feel at home in Agathion’s halls–the only problem is, they’re all keeping secrets from her.
Page doesn’t know it yet, but her perfect new school has dark roots–roots that stretch back to its crooked foundation, and an ancient clandestine society with rumored ties to demonic magic. Soon, Page will be forced to learn that not everyone at Agathion is who they say they are. Least of all, her friends.
Agathion claims to teach its students history…but some histories should stay buried.
Unhallowed Halls is a great and compelling novel that quickly enchants you with its quirky mysteries and dark young adult content as the author produces her own take on the dark academia narrative. Wilkinson builds a great initial mystery around the secrets of the academy as the protagonist initially tries to understand the underlying weirdness of the place, which includes mysterious disappearances, strange professors, and even a demonic pig that seems to have it out for her. Things inevitably take a dark turn as the protagonist tries to work out who to trust, and the author does an amazing job building tension as you get closer to the reveal of what’s really going down in Agathion.
While I had fun with the first half of Unhallowed Halls, especially with its great gothic themes and slowly building dread, I must admit that it didn’t do a lot to stand out from other young adult novels set in mysterious school settings. However, a great and well built-up twist that reveals the plot of the antagonists, and an intriguing attempt to fight back against it, helped to enhance the overall narrative of this book, allowing for a very exciting second half. There were some great stakes for the characters here, as well as some truly dark moments related the compelling background fantasy elements. Readers come away quite satisfied with the result, and this worked out to be an excellent read.
Thanks to the clever storytelling of Lili Wilkinson, who excels at crafting intense and compelling young adult novels that can easily be enjoyed by readers of all age ranges, Unhallowed Halls proved to be an outstanding standalone novel. Featuring a cool story, a great setting, and some very dark moments, Unhallowed Halls is a fantastic 2025 novel to check out, especially if you like twisty, gothic reads with intriguing young protagonists.
Canberra Weekly Column – Fantasy and Science Fiction – 20 November 2025
Originally published in the Canberra Weekly on 20 November 2025.
Make sure to check out my extended reviews of Seven Recipes for Revolution, The Feeding and Cold War.
Seven Recipes for Revolution by Ryan Rose
Publisher: Daphne Press (ebook – 25 November 2025)
Series: What We Eat – Book One
Length: 480 pages
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
In the mood for a tasty fantasy debut? Then look no further than the clever and distinctive 2025 release, Seven Recipes for Revolution by talented new author Ryan Rose.
Plot Synopsis:
The Bear meets Attack on Titan in this exhilarating, food-based epic fantasy filled with high stakes and monster steaks, perfect for fans of Pierce Brown and Jay Kristoff.
Seventeen-year-old Paprick is a common butcher, carving slabs of meat from gargantuan monsters so elite chefs can prepare magic-granting meals for the rich. But Paprick’s true passion is cooking, and if he can learn the secret art, his dreams of liberating his people and sharing the monsters’ magic with the world could come true. He steals the precious ingredients needed to practise recipes at home, but if he’s caught, he’ll be executed.
As his desperation grows, he ventures into the black market and uncovers a spice imported from unknown lands. Combining it with the last of his stolen meat, he cooks a dish the world has never tasted before, with side-effects he couldn’t have foreseen.
The dish’s magic grows Paprick to kaiju-size, and legends of his powers spread among the people. Immediately, the rulers arrest him, but Paprick convinces them to make him a chef’s apprentice―if they ever want to learn his Recipe. However, his exposure to the world of high cuisine reveals the rot at its centre, and with his new power, rebellion is only a few recipes away…
Seven Recipes for Revolution was a particularly awesome book that really showcased Ryan Rose’s excellent imagination and ability to craft a compelling story around his unique food-based magic. The first book in Rose’s What We Eat series; Seven Recipes for Revolution was an outstanding read that greatly impressed me with its clever story and unique ideas.
Rose produced a delicious story for Seven Recipes for Revolution, which quickly grabs the reader’s attention. Primarily told in a chronicle format from the perspective of a future Paprick before his execution, you are soon transported to the protagonist’s early days as a common butcher in a segregated society of magical foodies. This early part of the book serves as an excellent introduction to the protagonist and the larger world the series is set in, as you soon learn about the food magic of this nation, as well as the magical beasts whose meat give them power. It doesn’t take long for Paprick to find himself in the middle of a deadly revolution when, after stealing magical meat from his job, he is able to create a new recipe that allows him to grow to massive size. Able to leverage his discovery with the rulers of the city, the Rares, Paprick is allowed to become an apprentice chef, which leads him into even greater trouble.
What follows is an interesting centre to the narrative as Paprick enters a whole new world of cuisine in an excellent magical school narrative as Rose provides some compelling looks at the city’s main chef school. I loved the mixture of interesting classes, which feature both cool magic and awesome-sounding food, and it serves as a great background to the rest of the plot as Paprick gets further involved with the revolution, as well as a bloody conspiracy lurking underneath the surface of Rare society. The last third of the book is a fantastic blur of action and intrigue, as various secrets come to light and the protagonist faces some very dark choices and challenges. The build-up to these events in the main story is well supported by the sequences occurring in the present day, as the future Paprick messes with the mysterious chronicler recording his story, while also providing some interesting hints of events to come. All this leads up to a great conclusion, and I loved the fun twists that emerged as you get towards the end. Readers come away very satisfied from Seven Recipes for Revolution, and you are left wanting to find out what happens next.
I really enjoyed how Rose pulled together his first book, and the unique fantasy story he came up with was particularly inventive and well-written. Rose really showed off his creative style early, quickly introducing readers to a cool new fantasy realm where magic resides in the meat of gigantic beasts, known as emphon, and the way you prepare the food grants different abilities and powers. It was really fascinating to see a complex and segregated fantasy society built around this magical cookery, and the resulting obsession with cooking and food that the characters gave Seven Recipes for Revolution a distinctive and complex feel. Rose made full use of these creative elements throughout his story, and the resulting training, battles and intrigues related to secret recipes and culinary abilities was quite spectacular.
In addition to the amazing worldbuilding , I must compliment the way that Rose set out the story using the chronicle method, which shows the older Paprick telling his narrative to an initially unnamed archivist who has history with the protagonist. Having a character retell the story of their life as narrative tool doesn’t always work, but I think was particularly effective in Seven Recipes for Revolution, especially as it added some fun uncertainty and visions of the future to the mixture. Much of this is done through various interruptions from the archivist as they refute parts of Paprick’s story and claim that he is either embellishing or adding in material to make himself look better. I liked how this established the protagonist as a bit of an unreliable figure, and you’re never quite sure where his story will go next. The conversations about the future Paprick and the archivist give each other also adds to the anticipation of the main plot, and you are always waiting for the events they hint about to drop. This cool style works so well with the combined fantasy and intrigue elements of Seven Recipes for Revolution’s plot, and you really get stuck into the food-based carnage and complex betrayals that emerge both in the main story and the plot surrounding the future recording of Paprick’s tall tale.
Thanks to his outstanding imagination and excellent storytelling ability, Ryan Rose’s debut novel, Seven Recipes for Revolution, was a particularly awesome read, and it’s one I’m glad I checked out last year. Loaded with cool food-based magic, duplicitous characters and some amazing action, Seven Recipes for Revolution was addictive fun from start to finish, and I really enjoyed how it came together. Seven Recipes for Revolution ended up being one of my favourite debuts of 2025, and I cannot wait to see how Rose continues his series later this year with his upcoming book, Eight Tastes of Treachery.
Waiting on Wednesday – A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett
Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. In this latest Waiting on Wednesday post, I highlight an exceptional upcoming fantasy crime novel I already know is going to be one of the top books of the year with A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett.
Over the last couple of years, few authors have impressed me as much as the incredible Robert Jackson Bennett. An established fantasy author with some outstanding series under his belt, Bennett has been wowing readers for years with his complex and elaborate stories. However, it is Bennett’s latest series that has really showed the world just how good he is, with the incredible Shadow of the Leviathan series.
Set in a fantasy empire constantly besieged by giant sea monsters, the Shadow of the Leviathan series feature exceptionally clever fantasy crime novels that see an unnaturally gifted investigator and her troubled assistant solve impossible murders that threaten to sabotage the safety of the nation. The series started with The Tainted Cup that perfectly introduced the characters and the setting, while also featuring a great story of murder, deceit and intrigue. Thanks to its clever fantasy elements out outstanding mystery, The Tainted Cup ended up being one of my favourite books of 2024, and I had such a great time getting through this incredible read. Due to how awesome the first book in the series was, I ended up reading the sequel, A Drop of Corruption as soon as I could last year. This sequel ended up being just as good, if not better, than the first book in the series, and I loved the new elaborate mystery and scenario that Bennett came up with. A Drop of Corruption ended up getting another five-star rating from me, as well as being one of my favourite books of 2025.
After having such an incredible time with the first two Shadow of the Leviathan books, I’ve made sure to keep an eye out for the next book in the series, and I am very happy that a third entry is coming out soon. This next entry is the very promisingly titled A Trade of Blood, which is currently set for release in August 2026. Featuring another awesome fantasy crime narrative, A Trade of Blood has a ton of potential, and I really love the sound of this cool upcoming novel.
Plot Synopsis:
In the canton of Sapirdad, two of the Empire’s most powerful families are moments away from going to war with each other, their hundreds of retainers gathered with swords drawn. If blood is spilled, the whole of the empire may be plunged into starvation and chaos.
To deescalate matters, someone must do the impossible: prove that one family’s eldest son is innocent of a gruesome and unforgivable murder, despite the incontrovertible evidence against him.
It is with this undertaking that the great detective Ana Dolabra is tasked, her assistant Din at her side—and the two find themselves racing with great speed and little dignity to the scene.
As ever, the impossible proves little obstacle for the deadly combination of Ana’s intellect and Din’s keen eye, and mere hours after riding into the dusty town, Ana glimpses the greater pattern behind the crime. A deeper, subtler web of death is being woven in plain sight, by a mastermind with an ancient magical technology at his disposal.
But even Ana’s uncanny insight is of little use when each new suspect she uncovers ends up dead–with each new killing calculated to bring tensions between the two rival clans past the boiling point. And as Din pursues their adversary through the canton’s wild ranges, sprawling ranches, and reeking slaughterhouses, he finds his loyalties divided in unexpected ways.
I already love the sound of A Trade of Blood, and it looks like Bennett has another outstanding fantasy murder mystery in store for us. This upcoming novel has a great synopsis behind it, and I am very curious to see both the initial crime that the protagonists need to uncover to avoid a civil war, as well as the resulting killings that intend to stoke the conflict even further. It will be very interesting to see the protagonists, Ana and Din, try to solve this case while dealing with their own issues at the same time, and I am very curious to see how Bennett will test this unlikely pairing going forward. The inclusion of another extremely devious villain for this book, seems particularly promising, and I look forward to seeing the resulting battle of wits between the antagonist and the unstable but brilliant Ana, which will no doubt be entertaining and clever.
Based on how damn good the last two Shadow of the Leviathan novels turned out to be, there is no way in hell I am missing out on A Trade of Blood later this year. Robert Jackson Bennett has been on an absolute roll with this series, which I have no doubt he will easily continue with this third book. I will be grabbing A Trade of Blood no matter what this year, but after reading the exceptional synopsis above, I am even more excited for this epic upcoming novel. I have no doubt at all that A Trade of Blood is going to be one of the very best novels of 2026, and it is one of the books I am most looking forward to this year.
Waiting on Wednesday – The Calamities by Chuck Wendig
Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. In this latest Waiting on Wednesday post, I highlight a very cool upcoming fantasy novel from acclaimed author Chuck Wendig, The Calamities.
While there are a lot of great novels coming out in 2026 from authors that I am familiar with, I also want to try out some new writers, so to that end I’m hoping to check out an upcoming book from science fiction and fantasy author Chuck Wendig. Wendig is a veteran author who has written a ton of compelling and unique novels over the years. Despite having some very cool books to his name, I haven’t had the pleasure of reading anything from Wendig, although his Star Wars Aftermath trilogy has been on my to-read list for a while. However, this is hopefully going to change later this year as Wendig’s next book, The Calamities, has caught my attention.
Set for release in August 2026, The Calamities is an intriguing and compelling upcoming novel that will blend a complex story about family drama and corrupt business, with dark fantasy elements. Set to follow the scion of a family of powerful, half-demon business moguls, who decides to rebel against his father’s control, The Calamities has a great premise behind it which I think has a ton of potential. I really love the sound of this book, and I think it’s going to be an excellent novel to check out in the second half of 2026.
Plot Synopsis:
The heir to one of the world’s most influential families reckons with the demonic secret to their power, in this contemporary dark fantasy that melds occult magic with shocking family drama from the New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Accidents.
Mourning Mayne knows he’ll one day bear the duty of managing his family’s vast empire of wealth and power. But the feckless Mourning has always struggled to accept this legacy, which is one of cruelty, domination, and exploitation… and something even darker.
Because the Maynes are no ordinary family: Hidden in our world are the fiends—half-human, half-demon, and possessed of dark magic born from buying human souls—and the Maynes are one of the oldest and most influential fiendish families.
But when Mourning’s estranged father, the formidable and terrifying Hadrian Mayne, demands that he return to the fold, Mourning has to make a decision whether to accept his legacy and embrace his role in the family, or to forge his own destiny, and with it, change the course of the world.
Because along the way home, he will meet Key, a black-market seller of human souls, and Quinn, an artist who may hold the dark truth behind the fate of the fiends. Alone, they have all struggled with the darkness of their fiendish nature… but together, they might find a path out of the shadows.
Whisper in the Wind by Luke Arnold
Publisher: Orbit (Trade Paperback – 29 April 2025)
Series: Fetch Phillips – Book Four
Length: 381 pages
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Australian author Luke Arnold delivers another incredible fantasy hit with his deeply impressive fourth novel, Whisper in the Wind.
In recent years, one of my favourite fantasy series has been the underrated but always amazing Fetch Phillips Archive. Written by Australian actor Luke Arnold, who has very successfully transferred to a whole new career, the Fetch Phillips series is a clever and memorable urban fantasy series with an amazing, if dark, twist to it. Primarily set around the fantasy metropolis of Sunder City, the Fetch Phillips books showcase the aftermath of a worldwide catastrophe that destroyed all magic and permanently warped the various magical citizens of the city into disfigured mortal beings. Following titular investigator and odd-job man Fetch Phillips, a human partially responsible for the disaster, the books see Fetch attempt to solve unique crimes in the ruined city, while also looking to bring back magic in the face of human technological progress. All three previous books in the series have been very impressive, including The Last Smile in Sunder City (one of my favourite debuts and Australian novels of 2020), Dead Man in a Ditch and One Foot in the Fade (one of my favourite Australian novels of 2022). I have been eagerly awaiting this fourth book for a while, and Whisper in the Wind really did not disappoint.
Plot Synopsis
The fourth instalment of Luke Arnold’s Fetch Phillips series, Whisper in the Wind, takes readers to a very different Sunder City. One where government corruption is rampant and tensions are rising.
Fetch is done being a hero. Once a detective, all he wants now is to run his cafe in peace. Sunder City is still recovering from the sudden and violent end of magic, and if one man can’t solve all its problems, he can at least stop some people going hungry. But when a kid on the run shelters in Fetch’s cafe, and a chain of gruesome murders begins among Sunder’s high and mighty, trouble is brought to Fetch’s door.
There’s a word whispered on the wind, and that word is revolution…
Whisper in the Wind was another exceptional novel from Luke Arnold, who is very clearly getting better as an author with each new book he writes. Bringing his damaged protagonist back into action, Whisper in the Wind was another extremely clever and impressive fantasy crime novel that makes full use of the author’s exceptional imagination and world-building.
I really enjoyed the new story that Arnold came up with for Whisper in the Wind, which, thanks to its great combination of a complex mystery, compelling characters and some ongoing storylines about changes to a former magical land, is probably the author’s best work yet. Arnold starts the story off very effectively by showcasing returning protagonist Fetch Phillips as a changed man, no longer obsessed with trying to return the magic he helped destroy. Managing his friend’s café in peace, Fetch is dragged back into the chaotic life when one of the city’s police officers is murdered after talking to him. Initially trying to stay out of it, Fetch is blackmailed into investigating some additional killings plaguing the city, seemingly caused by acts of magic.
Arnold sets up this early part of the story extremely well, and you are once again dragged into Fetch’s often unsuccessful attempts to make his city a better place. Things get very intense as the story continues, especially as it becomes apparent that the murderer has started targeting the city’s elite who are responsible for handing effective control of Sunder City over to a ruthless corporation that Fetch has long opposed. Caught between various big players, Fetch tries to find the killer and uncover the latest corruption besetting his city from those in charge. There is a great mixture of compelling investigation which dives into some outstanding character arcs and some fantastic action as the protagonist gets closer to his goal. Arnold throws in some amazing and powerful twists as the reader gets towards the end of Whisper in the Wind, and the dark revelations play into the author’s long-term storytelling extremely well. I loved the complex revelation about who the killer was and why they were doing their crime, as well as final big moments of the plot as Fetch shows the reader what kind of hero he really is. Ending the book on a fantastic cliffhanger that brings back some interesting moments from the very first book, the entirety of Whisper in the Wind’s narrative was extremely awesome, and I honestly could not get enough of it.
As I have mentioned above, Luke Anrold has really gotten better as an author since starting the Fetch Phillips series, and I think that Whisper in the Wind showcased how good an author he really is. Perfectly continuing the series from the turbulent conclusion of One Foot in the Fade, Arnold once again paints a compelling picture around a despondent former hero who is only now finding his way again. This book’s mystery is probably one of Arnold’s best, as he presents an excellent conspiracy laden plot that presents as much tragedy as possible. The author also once again expertly utilises his chaotic setting to really enhance his narrative, forcing the protagonist to deal with his past mistakes as well as the pliable nature of people. A lot of the story revolves around a focus on how the wealthy and powerful manipulate the working classes through lies, fear and promises of safety and comfort, which has a certain real-world resonance to it, especially after the last year. Arnold handled these elements extremely well, especially as it provided extra despair to his already damaged protagonist in a particularly relatable way. The result is a particularly powerful read, that provides an exceptional balance of mystery, character growth, and a focus on the author’s unique fantasy elements.
While Whisper in the Wind would likely work well as a standalone novel for new readers, especially as Arnold is able to provide useful in-text recaps of the relevant prior books, this book is probably best read by those who have enjoyed the previous Fetch Phillips novels. The author brings back a lot of ongoing storylines from these books, especially those involving the human corporate takeover and modernisation of a formerly magical city, which is quite fascinating. In addition, reading the other Fetch Phillips books allows readers to get a lot more emotional impact from Whisper in the Wind, especially as you get some much better insights into the protagonist’s growth as well as his ongoing trauma and despair. I personally also loved seeing more of the world that the Fetch Phillips books are set in, especially the changes around the main setting of Sunder City. It has been fascinating to watch Arnold’s continued world-building since the first book, and he has turned this setting into some unique and distinctive. I honestly cannot wait to see what changes come to this world next, and Arnold has some interesting avenues when it comes to continuing his current storylines.
A lot of Whisper in the Wind’s strength, and indeed that of the whole series, lies in the excellent portrayal of the titular protagonist Fetch Phillips. Arnold has done an exceptional job turning Fetch into a highly tragic and repentant figure who was manipulated into betraying the magical races and taking away their power. Fetch’s growth from the first book has been very impressive, especially as he spent much of that time trying to undo the damage he did, before he was worn down by hopelessness and the machinations of the powerful who like the new status quo. This new book sees a somewhat healed Fetch who has managed to find a more peaceful life and has become an impromptu mentor to several younger characters. However, the spectre of his past and his frustrations with the world around him keep coming back to haunt him, and he finds himself in the fight again, although this time in a more thoughtful and less emotional way. I enjoyed the compelling and understandable changes to Fetch’s personality in this novel, playing off his prior failures extremely well, and his genuine attempts to stay out of trouble this time allowed for a refreshing change in narrative focus. Despite his best efforts, Fetch once again has his life unravelled, and his attempts at being a hero backfire on him again. Still, there was some genuine growth here, and I really appreciate the compelling way Arnold explores and enhances this great protagonist as the series continues. Throw in an excellent collection of supporting characters, as well as some wonderfully despicable corporate adversaries, and the cast of this book was extremely awesome, and added a lot to both the story, and the emotional impacts of Whisper in the Wind.
Luke Arnold continues to impress as one of Australia’s more captivating current authors of fantasy fiction. His fourth Fetch Phillips novel, Whisper in the Wind, was so damn good, and I honestly could not get enough of his elaborate and addictive plot, loaded with clever mystery and complex characters, all set in a unique fantasy world. I must give Whisper in the Wind a full five-star review, and this ended up being one of my favourite books of 2025. A highly recommended read, if you are a fantasy fan and you haven’t tried the Fetch Phillips series yet, you are missing out.
Quick Review – An Ethical Guide to Murder by Jenny Morris
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (ebook – 16 January 2025)
Series: Standalone/Book One
Length: 400 pages
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
In the mood for a curious crime fiction read with a clever philosophical edge? Then make sure to read the outstanding 2025 debut, An Ethical Guide to Murder by new author Jenny Morris.
Plot Synopsis:
How to Kill Your Family meets The Power in this entertaining and thought-provoking read, that asks:
If you had the power between life and death, what would you do?
Thea has a secret.
She can tell how long someone has left to live just by touching them.
Not only that, but she can transfer life from one person to another – something she finds out the hard way when her best friend Ruth suffers a fatal head injury on a night out.
Desperate to save her, Thea touches the arm of the man responsible when he comes to check if Ruth is all right. As Ruth comes to, the man quietly slumps to the ground, dead.
Thea realises that she has a godlike power: but despite deciding to use her ability for good, she can’t help but sometimes use it for her own benefit.
Boss annoying her at work? She can take some life from them and give it as a tip to her masseuse for a great job.
Creating an ‘Ethical Guide to Murder’ helps Thea to focus her new-found skills.
But as she embarks on her mission to punish the wicked and give the deserving more time, she finds that it isn’t as simple as she first thought.
How can she really know who deserves to die, and can she figure out her own rules before Ruth’s borrowed time runs out?
Early last year I had the very great pleasure of reading Jenny Morris’s very first novel, An Ethical Guide to Murder. This excellent book featured a compelling plot focused on a protagonist Thea, with the ability to transfer life between one person to another. After accidentally fatally utilising this power to save her friend, Thea soon finds herself tempted to tip scales between life and death to make a better world. Working with an ambitious love interest, Thea soon sets up her own Ethical Guide to Murder and begins to target those she believes to be truly wicked. However, not everything is as it seems, especially when Thea comes face to face with the consequences of her actions, and the dark side of choosing who gets to life and who gets to die. The resulting personal conflicts with those closest to her, followed by shocking revelations about those she has placed her faith in, will push her over the edge especially when she comes face to face with the person responsible for ruining her life.
I really enjoyed the unique story that Morris came up with for An Ethical Guide to Murder, which proves very easy to get addicted to. Morris does a good job setting the scene for Thea’s unique abilities in the first part of the book, as well as her stressful life and the people around her. The transition towards a secret, life-taking vigilante is well written, especially with the inclusion of a seemingly noble love interest with his own plans for her abilities, and the reader is poised to support Thea with her plans.
The last half of the book continues this story in a fantastic manner, while also adding in some strong philosophical and ethical elements, as Thea finds herself torn about whether she was ever doing the right thing. The resulting battle of morals, especially as Thea also finds herself under investigation and forced to try and contend with true evil closer to home, allows for some deep and heartfelt moments in the book, until you honestly don’t know what the right course of action is for Thea anymore. Everything wraps up on a heartfelt note, as the protagonist comes to terms with their powers in their own way, while also addressing all their personal problems. I think Morris’s strong choice of ending for An Ethical Guide to Murder fit the rest of the narrative extremely well, and you come away from this book very thoughtful and appreciative of Morris’s dive into her protagonist’s psyche, and the fantastic discussion about the value of life and the impact of those who misuse it.
Overall, An Ethical Guide to Murder was a very strong debut that I was glad I got the chance to read last year. Clever, thought-provoking, and filled with some strong characters, An Ethical Guide to Murder was an outstanding read that is worth checking out.
The Blackfire Blade by James Logan
Publisher: Arcardia (Trade Paperback – 11 November 2025)
Series: The Last Legacy – Book Two
Length: 583 pages
My Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars
Prepare for adventure, intrigue and some fantastic character dynamics in the outstanding 2025 fantasy novel, The Blackfire Blade by James Logan.
Back in 2024 I had the pleasure of reading the outstanding The Silverblood Promise, which was the debut of author James Logan. A cool fantasy novel and the first book in the author’s The Last Legacy series, The Silverblood Promise followed the banished scion of a noble house, Lukan Gardova, who finds out that his estranged father had been murdered. Determined to find out who killed him, Lukan follows the one clue his father left him and winds up in an enticing Mediterranean-inspired fantasy city teaming with its own secret problems. Needing to uncover a conspiracy deep within this setting before he can achieve his goals, Lukan finds himself teaming up with a brave street urchin and a talented master thief to save the day. I really loved this awesome first novel from Logan, and The Silverblood Promise ended up being one of my favourite debuts of 2024. As such, I have been looking forward to Logan’s second novel for a while, and I was very happy to get my hands on The Silverblood Promise’s sequel a few weeks ago. This sequel, The Blackfire Blade, was another amazing read with an outstanding and highly entertaining plot behind it.
Plot Synopsis:
Winter has come early to Korslakov, City of Spires, and Lukan Gardova has arrived with it. Most visitors to this famous city of artifice seek technological marvels, or alchemical ingenuity. Lukan only desires the unknown legacy his father has left for him, in the vaults of the Blackfire Bank.
But when Lukan’s past catches up with him, his key to the vault ends up in the hands of a mysterious thief known only as the Rook. As Lukan and his companions race to recover the key, they soon find themselves trapped in a web of murder and deceit. In desperation, Lukan requests the help of Lady Marni Volkova, scion to Korslakov’s most powerful family.
Yet Lady Marni has secrets of her own. Worse, she has plans for Lukan and his friends. Plans that involve a journey into Korslakov’s dark past, in search of a long-lost alchemical formula that could prove to be the city’s greatest discovery . . . or its destruction.
The Blackfire Blade was another extremely awesome fantasy adventure novel from James Logan, who showcases his growth as a writer with this excellent sequel. Following three loveable, if chaotic, protagonists as they explore a new intricate urban fantasy setting, The Blackfire Blade was an exciting blast from start to finish, and I cannot get enough of this amazing series.
James Logan produced another particularly entertaining adventure narrative for The Blackfire Blade, which quickly drags you in with its fun excitement. Effectively reintroducing you to the three main protagonists, Lukan, the former street urchin Flea and thief Ashra Seramis, better known as Lady Midnight, as they finally reach their destination of Korslakov. Hoping to uncover the clue to Lukan’s father’s murder that is hidden within Korslakov’s Blackfire Bank, the group finds their mission imperilled when a drunken Lukan immediately has the vault key stolen by a mysterious thief, known as the Rook. With no other way of accessing the vault, Lukan and his companions desperately search for the Rook with the help of some unlikely friends within the city. However, they soon run afoul of some of Korslakov’s elites and become indebted to Lady Marni Volkova, a minor character from The Silverblood Promise.
This first part of the book nicely sets the scene for the rest of The Blackfire Blade’s plot, and I found myself really drawn into the various political intrigues and complex feuds that make up high society in Kroslakov. Logan also does a great job setting up some interesting dynamics amongst the protagonists, which allowed the characters to come together as a more cohesive family going forward. The second half of The Blackfire Blade was all excellent action and adventure, as the protagonists find themselves continuously forced to take on even more dangerous escapades to pay off their debts and recover the key. This includes a particularly deadly job navigating the most dangerous parts of the city, to find an alchemical formula. This part of the story was so damn fun, and features a great mix of scary monsters, fast-paced action, and some very interesting details about the city.
The final third of The Blackfire Blade features a range of fantastic sequences that really showcase the author’s imagination when it comes to unique obstacles and threats. Highlights include an excellent heist sequence, manipulations of the city’s warring elite, and encounters with a secret society determined to keep the formula out of anyone’s hands. Logan throws in a lot of great twists and turns here, and you are constantly on the edge of your seat as you wait to see what chaos will be unleashed next. Everything leads up to the entertaining and destructive finale, where all the lies and secrets come to light, and the protagonists are forced to come together against a truly overwhelming opponent. Logan clearly has fun detailing the resulting insanity that emerges, and it led to an impressive and deeply entertaining continuous action sequence. The Blackfire Blade wraps up with Lukan finally getting some details about the larger series narrative, which looks set to lead to some awesome additional adventures, and readers are guaranteed to come away from this book extremely satisfied.
I really enjoyed how The Blackfire Blade came together as a novel, and it is very clear that Logan has developed his skills when it comes to writing action-focused, fast-paced fantasy adventure narratives. Working extremely well as both a standalone novel and a great sequel to The Silverblood Promise (thanks to a great summary of the first book included at the start), The Blackfire Blade continues in a similar vein to the first Last Legacy novel, with the protagonists forced to explore and understand a new city before they can continue their main quest. While some readers might not appreciate the requirement for each book in this series to devolve into side quests before the main storyline can be explored, I really liked how it turned out in The Blackfire Blade, as the resulting intrigue, exploration of the city, and following deadly adventures, made for some outstanding reading. It helps that Logan excels at writing awesome and intense action sequences, and there are a lot of extremely fun moments scattered throughout this novel. Throw in some very moment sequences where Logan continues to develop his protagonists and their unique relationships, and The Blackfire Blade was a very worthy sequel to the author’s first book, and I felt it was actually a stronger overall novel.
One of the things that most impressed me about The Blackfire Blade was the way that Logan built and introduced a whole new unique fantasy city that the protagonists were forced to explore and understand. Serving as a fantastic contrast to the sunny and crime-infested Saphrona, the setting of The Silverblood Promise, Korslakov is a grim and snow-shrouded city of power, invention and alchemical might. The gloomy, purple fire covered spires of Korslakov, perfectly matches the mood of the book’s main characters as they attempt to find their feet in this new local, and the subsequent exploration and understanding of this new urban setting, are some of the best parts of the book. It’s impressive how effortlessly Logan moves his characters through the various elements of Korslakov, from the decadent battles of the high society to the terrifying abandoned section of the city, infested with flesh-eating monstrosities. All these detailed and well-written elements of Korslakov play a compelling role in The Blackfire Blade’s narrative, and the city feels like a major character in the book, with the protagonists and the reader, needing to fully understand and appreciate its place in the narrative. It will be very interesting to see what awesome new city Logan comes up with in his third Last Legacy book, but it’s going to be hard to top the setting he utilised here.
The final element of The Blackfire Blade that I want to highlight here are the complex and likeable central protagonists that Logan bases his story around. The three main characters, Lukan, Ashra and the very entertaining Flea, are excellent figures, each of whom are dealing with their own issues, such as Lukan’s drunken depression, Flea’s fear of abandonment and Ashra’s constant worry about vengeful enemies coming after her. Logan ensures that all three of these characters are well utilised in The Blackfire Blade, with a mostly equal balance of perspective chapters where they can work out their separate issues. While in some ways these protagonists, mainly Lukan, have lost a little of the development from the first book, Logan works through that again, which ensures they come out of this latest adventure stronger. However, the real magic of these protagonists is the way that Logan has morphed them into unconventional and dysfunctional family unit, that never ceases to entertain. While they may bicker, argue and misunderstand each other throughout the book, the reader is never in doubt that they care for each other, and this allows them to be an extremely likeable bunch who you constantly root for (especially Flea).
Aside from the three main protagonists, The Blackfire Blade is loaded with a highly entertaining and often outrageous collection of supporting characters, all of whom add a lot to the book’s impact. Primarily focused on the elites of Korslakov, who the protagonists need to deal with to achieve their goals, you are introduced to an interesting array of backstabbing nobles and self-important lords, whose intrigues and squabbles are a key part of the plot. My favourites include grizzled general Leopold Razin, who proves to be a particularly entertaining, if tragic, ally to the protagonists. There was also the imposing Lady Wretzky, the Iron Dame, who more than lives up to her title during her interactions with the main cast. I also need to highlight the deadly Lady Marni Volkova, an ultra-wealthy heiress who Lucan finds himself indebted to and whose appearances are always quite entertaining as she pulls the main character’s strings. There was also the briefly featured Clank, a great character whose inclusion reveals one of Korslakov’s biggest secrets, while also having some amazing interactions with Flea. I’m honestly only barely scratching the surface of all the very entertaining and compelling characters featured in The Blackfire Blade, and I was really impressed with Logan’s ability to create and then utilise this amazing cast in his second book.
James Logan continues to shine as one of fantasy fiction’s newest rising authors. His second novel, The Blackfire Blade, was a wonderful and highly entertaining read, that serves as an outstanding sequel to his amazing first novel. Exciting, powerful and extremely addictive, The Blackfire Blade really showcased Logan’s amazing ability as an author, and I honestly could not get enough of this incredible fantasy read. This second book from Logan was so damn good, and I cannot wait to see what adventures, revelations and heartfelt moments await us in his next entry in The Last Legacy series.
Waiting on Wednesday – Pretenders to the Throne of God and Green City Wars by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. For this latest Waiting on Wednesday post, I highlight the two upcoming books from impressive author Adrian Tchaikovsky that I’m most looking forward to in 2026.
Adrian Tchaikovsky is an extremely talented science fiction and fantasy author who has been wowing audiences with his incredible imagination since 2008, producing an insane number of books during that period. Known for his Shadows of the Apt, Children of Time, Echoes of the Fall and Final Architecture series, as well as several awesome standalone novels, Tchaikovsky has a truly outstanding catalogue of works to his name, and there are some true classics captured there. I personally have had the pleasure of reading several of his latest great books, with entries like Service Model (one of my favourite books of 2024), Alien Clay, the novella Orges and the Warhammer 40,000 novel, Day of Ascension (one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels), proving to be quite amazing.
Some of my favourite books from Tchaikovsky have been the awesome novels of his Tyrant Philosophers series. A gripping, brilliant and highly amusing series, the Tyrant Philosophers novels are set in a cool fantasy world filled with magic, gods and demons, all with a fun Tchaikovsky twist to them. Featuring some excellent overlapping characters and events, all set around the dark impact of the Palleseen, an empire of perfection seeking fanatics, who have been conquering the world through elaborate military and diplomatic action. All three current books in the series have been quite exceptional, including City of Last Chances and House of Open Wounds both of which were amongst my favourite books of 2023 (with City of Last Chances being one of the best audiobooks of 2023), as well as the third book in the series Days of Shattered Faith (one of my favourite books and audiobooks from the first half of 2025). I really love these elaborate and highly entertaining novels, and we’re luckily only a short way away from the next book in the series, Pretenders to the Throne of God.
Set for release in February 2026, Pretenders to the Throne of God will once again focus on the Palleseen expansion as they engage in a deadly siege to expand their power and influence. Featuring an outstanding plot, Pretenders to the Throne of God has the potential to be another outstanding novel, especially as we’ll get to see the next chapter of a certain character’s troubled journey.
Plot Synopsis:
Arthur C. Clarke winner and Sunday Times bestseller returns to a world steeped in magic – and the Tyrant Philosophers’ campaign to bring reason, logic and ‘perfection’ to it.
As the Palleseen’s campaign to bring Perfection and Correctness to an imperfect world rages on, Eres Ffenegh – ‘the City on the Back of a Crab’ – is the next state slated for conquest. But its citizens won’t give up sovereignty easily.
The siege has dragged into winter and the defenders – both locals and Pal renegades – hold an uneasy alliance against the enemy at the gates, while the Pal army is looking over its shoulder for the next self-destructive dictate of their government back home.
Within the city, Devil Jack, a good man apprenticed to the notorious conjurer known as the Widow, is driven to bargaining with hell to get back what he’s lost. Meanwhile Kiffel ea Leachan is the city’s champion, a child of privilege who’s just lost everything to the invaders. Both must try to survive the siege and make their own destinies in a world that’s cut them loose.
Outside the city, Pal reinforcements have arrived to take the city, but it’s the sort of help that might just damn them all…
This sounds like a very interesting continuation to the Tyrant Philosopher’s series, and it’s one that I’m particularly keen on. Readers of this blog will know that I love a good siege novel, and I’m going to be very keen to see Tchaikovsky’s take on siege craft in Pretenders to the Throne of God. No doubt this new book is going to feature a lot of interesting perspectives of the siege from both sides of the wall, and I cannot wait to see what over-the-top array of magical battles, as well as complex political intrigues will engulf both sides of the battle.
While the overarching story of Pretenders to the Throne of God sounds very promising, I personally I am very keen to see how Tchaikovsky continues the tale of one of his best characters, known in this novel as Devil Jack. The man known as Jack has served as a primary character of all three previous Tyrant Philosopher’s novels, with fate throwing him into different roles and facing dangerous hardships. However, after losing the demon he loved in Days of Shattered Faith, it looks like the formerly happy Jack is going to go through a rather dark place in this sequel. I’m almost a little afraid to see how Tchaikovsky will torture Jack in this upcoming novel, but I have no doubt that his character arc is going to be one of the most emotionally charged of the entire novel. Add in the rest of the complex characters I known Tchaikovsky has dreamt up for this new book, and Pretenders to the Throne of Gods is going to have some outstanding depth based around its protagonists, and probably it’s villains.
Based on how very impressive the previous Tyrant Philosophers books have been, I have very high hopes for Pretenders to the Throne of God in the new year, and it’s going to be something truly special. One of my most anticipated releases for the first half of 2026, Pretenders to the Throne of God is going to be incredible.
In addition to the next epic Tyrant Philosopher’s novel, there is another outstanding sounding Tchaikovsky novel that I am very excited to read in the new year, the very fun sounding Green City Wars. Set for release in June 2026, Green City Wars will see Tchaikovsky present an intriguing and thriller with a unique twist, the protagonist is a talking racoon living in a world of genetically engineered animal helpers.
Plot Synopsis:
In a city of sunshine and secrets, the shadows belong to the animals. One genetically-engineered raccoon races to expose a deadly conspiracy – before it tears his whole world apart.
In a solar-powered future, humans live in luxury, served by unseen Little Helpers – artificially enhanced animals who maintain their perfect green cities. The animals’ golden rule: ‘Do Not Bother the Humans.’ Yet beneath this tranquil facade, a complex underworld of animal politics, crime and conflict thrives.
Enter Skotch, a freelance raccoon investigator. His biggest problem was a lack of work. Now his work may get him killed. And his latest case? Finding a fugitive mouse scientist. But powerful forces are also after the mouse, and they’re willing to kill for his secrets. Can Skotch navigate this treacherous web, outsmart rat gangsters, beat a deadly weasel assassin and keep his pelt intact? More importantly, can he find his quarry before the elusive rodent breaks Rule One in the most apocalyptic way – and shatters their fragile world.
I love the sound of this upcoming novel, especially as I’m keen to see Tchaikovsky take on the noir genre in his own entertaining way in Green City Wars. The idea of sentient animal protagonists alongside humans in serious fiction is always very interesting, and the above synopsis has seriously put me in mind of the Welkin Weasels series by Gary Kilworth (a favourite of my childhood). However, Tchaikovsky has put a fun dark twist on it, with the animals being genetically engineered slaves to humanity. I’m assuming that the whole story will be a compelling crime fiction novel with some great science fiction twists, overlayed with some amusing critiques of humanity, which sounds so very fun.
While featuring one of Tchaikovsky’s more unusual plot ideas, I think that Green City Wars has a ton of potential and I’m very excited for it. I have no doubt that this awesome standalone novel is going to be particularly funny, and I cannot wait to see how it turns out.
Overall, it is quite clear that Adrian Tchaikovsky has some outstanding novels coming out in the new year, and these are just the main ones I’m currently excited for. The author also has plans for some other exciting releases in 2026, and I’m going to make a real effort to read as many as possible. Stay tuned to see how they all turn out.
The Unseen Library 