Category: Fantasy

The Daughter’s War by Christopher Buehlman

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Throwback ThursdayLeave a comment

Publisher: Gollancz (Hardcover – 25 June 2024)

Series: Blacktongue series – Book 0 

Length: 389 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out 5 stars

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Prepare for the most brutal of wars with the intense and impressive fantasy prequel from Christopher Buehlman, The Daughter’s War, an intriguing read that dives into the early life of one of the author’s more complex characters.

Most fantasy fans will be aware of author Christopher Buehlman, who has been very popular since 2021 when he released the acclaimed novel The Blacktongue Thief.  An elaborate dark fantasy adventure story set in a series of human nations recovering from a devastating total war against goblins, The Blacktongue Thief was an exceptional read that very much lives up to the hype around it.  I had the pleasure of finally reading The Blacktongue Thief earlier this year, and after finishing it I attempted to find a copy of the 2024 prequel novel, The Daughter’s War.  After a long search through many second-hand bookshops in Australia, I was eventually able to find a wonderful hardcover copy of The Daughter’s War at the tail end of a road trip (thank you Wyrdbooks in Wentworth Falls), and I just got the chance to read it.  A brutal war novel, The Daughter’s War was a great read that provides some additional history around a fantastic character from the first book in the series.

Plot Synopsis:

The goblins have killed all of our horses and most of our men.

They have enslaved our cities, burned our fields, and still they wage war.

Now, our daughters take up arms.

Galva ― Galvicha to her three brothers, two of whom the goblins will kill ― has defied her family’s wishes and joined the army’s untested new unit, the Raven Knights. They march toward a once-beautiful city overrun by the goblin horde, accompanied by scores of giant war corvids. Made with the darkest magics, these fearsome black birds may hold the key to stopping the goblins in their war to make cattle of mankind.

The road to victory is bloody, and goblins are clever and merciless. The Raven Knights can take nothing for granted ― not the bonds of family, nor the wisdom of their leaders, nor their own safety against the dangerous war birds at their side. But some hopes are worth any risk.

Buehlman brings the carnage in this compelling prequel novel.  The Daughter’s War was an interesting and action-packed addition to this cool fantasy series that tells a powerful character-driven narrative, while also cleverly expanding on the lore his unique fantasy universe.  A wonderfully dark and addictive novel, The Daughter’s War was an outstanding read you’ll have a hard time pulling away from.

I very much enjoyed the prequel narrative that Buehlman set for The Daughter’s War, especially as the author sets out a gritty war story rather than the classic adventure narrative in The Blacktongue Thief.  Set several years before the events of The Blacktongue Thief, The Daughter’s War follows young noblewoman Galva dom Braga, the striking character from the first book who was introduced as a scarred war veteran and death worshipper.  However, in this prequel Galva is a more innocent and hopeful figure who has volunteered to fight in the Daughter’s War against the goblins, so called because most of the new soldiers are women after most of the men died in the previous goblin wars.  A member of the experimental Corvid Knights unit, an all-female band of warriors who fight alongside giant, magically mutated ravens, Galva travels to the goblin occupied nation of Gallardia, and fights in some of the most brutal battles of this latest war.

Told in a chronicle format primarily from Galva’s perspective, The Daughter’s War starts off with an effective reintroduction to Galva and starts to showcase the various complexities of her early life that you never saw in The Blacktongue Thief.  This includes familial responsibilities and drama when she is reunited with her three brothers, each of whom is participating in the war in different ways.  Buehlman soon embarks on the full intensity of his war story as Galva and her companions head towards the inevitable battles and tragedy to come.  There is a good pace to this story, as the author expands the setting while slowly introducing both the protagonist and the reader to the horrors of war and the goblin enemies.  After several smaller battles, and the build-up of several additional problems around Galva, you soon get your taste of the first true combat, which also introduces readers to even more complexity for the protagonist as she meets her love interest from The Blacktongue Thief for the first time.

After a more emotionally charged centre to the story, the second half of The Daughter’s War is defined by true brutality, as the protagonist and her comrades encounter the wrath of the goblins.  Buehlman is in his dark fantasy element when it comes to this second half of the book, and he excels at highlight the horrors of the war through Galva’s constantly hardening eyes.  After an escalating series of tragedies, there is a major battle sequence that was a highlight of the book, and which sets the protagonist down a darker path.  This change in characterisation is showcased in the book’s climatic sequence, where Galva asserts herself in all the best ways, and becomes the figure we knew from The Blacktongue Thief.  Throw in some intriguing wrap up which helps to bridge the gap between this book and The Blacktongue Thief, and this ended up being an outstanding prequel narrative, guaranteed to keep you hooked to the end.

I enjoyed how Buehlman utilised a different writing style for The Daughter’s War, which helped it stand out as its own novel.  Rather than utilising the active first-person style of The Blacktongue Thief, this novel is told in a chronicle format, as Galva recounts her memories of the war to an unseen character (the protagonist of the first book).  Primarily told from Galva’s immediate perspective, Buehlman also utilises several in-universe documents and letters, as well as other inclusions and rogue memories to paint a wider picture of events and help to recount the larger war.  This chronicle style highlighted that The Daughter’s War was very much a prequel novel, and the author did an amazing job emulating the feel of a veteran recounting their most personal war story.  This includes working in a sense of regret and sadness from the very first page, as the protagonist/writer lays down hints about the tragedies to come.  This focus on the past ensures that The Daughter’s War works well as a prequel to The Blacktongue Thief, and readers have a choice of either enjoying this book after The Blacktongue Thief to see how the protagonist got the way she did, or by reading it first and then exploring the aftermath of the war with the original book in the series (with some potential spoilers).  I will admit that, thanks to its unique style and narrative structure, The Daughter’s War might not be for every fantasy reader out there, especially those who enjoyed the more straightforward and humour-laden style of The Blacktongue Thief.  However, for those looking for an intense and darker character-focused read with some epic and brutal battle sequences, The Daughter’s War has a lot to offer.

One of my favourite things about the original book in this series was the elaborate and dark fantasy world that Buehlman invented as the background for The Blacktongue Thief’s story.  The various human nations still diminished and feeling the impact of the goblin wars made for a striking and bleak setting, and I loved following the protagonists on the map as they made their way across the continent.  This setting was also a highlight of this prequel, especially as the author uses The Daughter’s War to provide an extended look at new parts of the world, while also showcasing some of the dark history mentioned in The Blacktongue Thief.  Readers follow the sprawling campaign through the invaded kingdom of Gallardia and get to appreciate the dark impacts war has had on it.  Multiple other kingdoms from the larger continent setting of the series are also represented in other ways, primarily from their soldiers fighting in the war, and the author’s portrayals of the different combat styles of these nations was very compelling.  Additional details about the protagonist’s home country of Ispanthia, which was talked about but not seen in The Blacktongue Thief, were also mentioned here, and this context helps to expand on the character’s origins.

While the focus on the human participants in the war is excellent, Buehlman’s portrayal of the goblin antagonists is particularly awesome.  Already shown as deadly and malicious creatures when nominally at peace in The Blacktongue Thief, the author does not hold back showcasing their true nature in this prequel as you see the goblins at their full war savagery.  The scenes showing them fighting against human soldiers are so damn brutal, and their varying tactics, weapons and counters to traditional warfare add some major impact to the impressive battle sequences.  However, it is the examination of how they treat humans, especially humans they have captured or conquered, that really showcases how terrifying the goblins are, with the goblins essentially considering them to be cattle that they can drug, mutilate, eat and find various uses for (human skin sails and mutated human warriors are a striking inclusion).  This portrayal of the goblin ruthlessness really ups the stakes of The Daughter’s War, and it was very fun to have an antagonist group that is so irredeemably evil.  These outstanding elements of the setting were perfectly utilised in Buehlman’s darker fantasy narrative, and I really appreciated this look at the war that caused all the scars in the original novel.

In addition to cool setting and dark fantasy features, another great highlight of The Daughter’s War was the author’s excellent character work, especially around protagonist Galva dom Braga, who enters the war as a hopeful Corvid Knight, leading two magically enhanced ravens into battle alongside her sister knights.  Buehlman does an excellent job showcasing the young noblewoman in a very different light than when you see her in The Blacktongue Thief, as through her own telling, she was a somewhat naïve and uncertain figure with no experience of war.  Thanks to the horrors of battle, interactions with several supporting characters, and various tragedies involving her three brothers, Galva is slowly turned into the experienced and death-worshipping figure that we encountered in the original novel, and I really appreciated the gradual and understandable transition that the author worked in.  The use of Galva as both the main character and the narrator recounting her most brutal memories allows for some powerful storytelling and she ended up being an excellent centre for this book.  Throw in some outstanding, if somewhat doomed, supporting characters, including comrades, rivals, cheeky talking ravens, an insane wizard, the princess Galva falls in love with, and her three brothers, each of whom has their own complex narrative in this book, and the cast of The Daughter’s War is extremely impressive and adds a lot to the overall story.  I’m extremely glad that Buehlman decided to provide all of Galva’s story in this prequel, and I cannot wait to see what happens with this eventually brooding warrior next.

Christopher Buehlman continues to showcase his skill for dark fantasy fiction in this impressive novel.  The Daughter’s War was an outstanding prequel to Buehlman’s The Blacktongue Thief, and I really appreciated the exploration of the past of his complex setting and one iconic scarred character.  Shocking, intense and filled with inevitable tragedy, The Daughter’s War comes highly recommended, and I am very glad I finally got the chance to read this book.  I cannot wait to see what happens in the upcoming third book in the series, The Thrice-Bound Fool, and I’m hoping to get that very soon.

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Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me by Django Wexler

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Comedy/Satire, FantasyLeave a comment

Publisher: Orbit (Trade Paperback – 27 May 2025)

Series: Dark Lord Davi Duology – Book Two

Length: 327 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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If you are in the mood for some compelling fantasy fiction with some bonkers humour behind it, make sure to check out the 2025 novel, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me by Django Wexler, a fantastic and highly entertaining fantasy you can’t help but love.

Back in 2024, I had the very great pleasure of picking up the hilarious novel, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler.  The first book in his Dark Lord Davi duology, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying was an amazing read that followed protagonist Davi, the fated hero of a fantasy realm who keeps dying and respawning with every failed attempt to save the humans of The Kingdom from an incoming monster horde led by a rotating array of leaders known as the Dark Lord.  After thousands of years spent dying in the most brutal of ways, Davi finally has enough and decides to instead try to become the new Dark Lord herself and win that way.  This amazing novel was honestly one of the funniest things I read in 2024, and I have so much love for the addictive story and impressive humour that Wexler loaded into it.  As such, I made sure to grab the sequel, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me, as soon as I could last year, especially as it ended the duology.  While I did read and deeply enjoy Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me last year, I failed to write a review for it, which has been haunting me for nearly a year.  With Wexler’s latest novel, The Only Way Out Is Up, just released and in my reading queue, I had to pull together a review for Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me, so I can enjoy this new book guilt-free.

Plot Synopsis:

Dark Lord Davi rules the kingdom, but she must now break the time loop that binds her in this hilariously bloody conclusion to the Dark Lord Davi duology.

After countless failures (let’s not dwell on it), Davi has finally saved the kingdom from evil–by becoming the Dark Lord herself. But now, the hordes of wilders are at her command, and they still want blood. Human blood. And Davi’s not sure she can commit to the total extermination of humanity.

With restless armies at her doorstep, a treasonous duke scheming for power, and the legend of an ancient magician looming over her shoulder, Davi must find a way towards peace and uncover the truth behind her time loop if she is to bring harmony to the kingdom. Also, her girlfriend is mad at her. So, there’s that too.

Wexler did a wonderful job writing Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me, which contains a fantastic story with tons of humour and over-the-top moments.  Best read as a sequel to How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, this follow-up perfectly wraps up the duology, while standing out in its own amazing way.

Once again following the duology’s titular protagonist Davi, the recently crowned Dark Lord of the wilders, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me sees Davi try to mend the mistake of bringing together a horde of monsters.  To stop all the killing, Davi heads towards the Kingdom in advance of horde, hoping to negotiate a treaty.  However, rather than the usual nation that Davi has gained control of multiple times before, Davi instead finds that in the months she was away becoming the Dark Lord, the incompetent Duke Aster has taken over the Kingdom, while her usual love interest, Prince Johann, is already married to someone else.  With her horde nearly at the borders of the Kingdom, Davi needs to find a way to convince the humans to trust her. At the same time, Davi attempts to discover who or what is behind bringing her to this world and the constant time loops.

I loved the resulting story, as Wexler showcases an entertaining blend of politics and personal drama, as Davi and her orc girlfriend, Tsav, must attempt to control both sides of the war.  The first half of the story is particularly funny, as Davi is at her most entertaining, attempting to build credibility with the lords and adventurers of the Kingdom without the usual introduction of her magical mentor.  There are some brilliant moments here, with Davi’s ploys usually falling flat thanks to her manic personality, but her persistence and magical ability allow her to start making strides towards her goals.  At the same time, Davi and her friends start making progress uncovering the secrets of her origins in this world, which nicely builds on some hints that Wexler threw into the first book.  Naturally, things go to hell, as various antagonists force the war to go ahead, and Davi is forced to come up with some unusual solutions to the problems.  I love the crazy scenarios that Wexler envisions his protagonist coming up with, and the resulting carnage was very entertaining.  The author does an excellent job moving from there to the big reveal about the villain of the duology, and while the reveal of the ultimate manipulator isn’t too surprising, their identity and how it ties into Davi’s past is both clever and very dark.  This results in an epic, fun final confrontation which hits a lot of emotional high notes and is guaranteed to keep you hooked.  Readers will come away very satisfied with the resulting story, and I think that Wexler wrapped up this entire duology extremely well.

As with the first book in this duology, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me was an excellently written novel that perfectly combined a compelling fantasy narrative with outrageous humour.  Told exclusively from the first-person perspective of the protagonist, much of the book’s humour is drawn from Davi’s oddball personality as she bombards the reader with an array of internal jokes, silly observations and half-remembered references from the real world.  This works to lighten most of the scenes in the book, and the contrast between dark fantasy events and the protagonist’s over-the-top or utterly insane responses, especially in the eyes of the other characters who have no idea what is going on or what she is referencing, will keep you laughing the entire way through.  Favourites for me include a fun The Lord of the Rings inspired attempt at magical intimidation, which was only slightly ruined by the protagonist’s bad sense of direction, as well as certain dastardly responses to other characters ploys.  Special mention once again goes to Wexler’s use of footnotes throughout Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me, which further enhanced the humour, and kept the readers on their toes as the book continued.

While Wexler tends to focus on unleashing his entertaining humour in this duology, there are a lot of other great elements to it that should be mentioned, such as the novel’s excellent character development.  This includes around Davi, who, after an untold number of time loops, had started to lose her humanity and had trouble seeing other beings as real.  Much of this book is her trying to maintain her sanity amid the chaos, and finally appreciating the connections she has made, both in her previous incarnations and in her current role as a dark lord.  I also must highlight Davi’s love interest, Tsav, an orc who accompanies Davi into the human kingdom in disguise.  While sharing Davi’s vision for peace between humans and wilders, Tsav is more wary, having grown up oppressed and hunted by human Guildblades her entire life.  Her attempts to fit in amongst the humans while witnessing them commit murderous acts against her kind is an interesting subplot that helps remind you just how dark parts of the setting are, even with all the humour.  This is honestly just the tip of the amazing character work in this novel, and when combined with other elements like the intriguing fantasy creatures, bonkers action and general insanity of Wexler’s writing, you get an impressive blend of elements that allows for a particularly addictive read.

Overall, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me was an outstanding novel from Django Wexler, and one I should have reviewed earlier.  Serving as a great sequel to the author’s previous Dark Lord Davi novel, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me utilises all the charm and humour of the first entry in the duology, allowing for a unique and exceedingly fun fantasy read.  As such, this duology comes highly recommended for those readers looking for an entertaining fantasy read that not only has some heart but will also make you laugh like crazy.   I am so excited to read Wexler’s next book after enjoying this series, and I am hoping to check out The Only Way Out is Up in the coming week.

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The Doubles by Jacob K. Gallagher

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Fantasy, Murder MysteryLeave a comment

Publisher: Hachette Australia (Trade Paperback – 25 August 2026)

Series: Standalone/Book One

Length: 360 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Australian author Jacob K. Gallagher drops one of the more distinctive fantasy debuts of 2026 with The Doubles, a captivating and inventive urban fantasy novel that makes amazing use of its rural Australian setting.

Plot Synopsis:

‘I remembered a dream I had been having: a mountain, covered in trees, swelling up out of a plain like a tidal wave. But peering out from the underbrush was a row of eyeless faces looking past me out into the endless expanse I knew was at my back.’

On the Liverpool Plains, near the town of Werris Creek, the Veil that separates the mortal realm from the Outside is wearing thin. Children have been disappearing and turning up dead. Someone – or something – is responsible; taking them from their beds in the middle of the night and sending a message no one can understand.

That’s all Kring knows when she gets the case. That’s all she needs to know.

Kring is no stranger to magic and monsters – her job as an Envoy for the Higher Powers is to banish Trespassers from our world. But this mission will push her capabilities to the limit, and bring back memories of a past she’d rather leave forgotten. Together with Dries, a local officer of magical law enforcement, she finds herself in a race against time to stop a demon from killing again. And once the demon finds what it’s looking for, things will get a whole lot worse …

The Doubles was an exciting and impressive first novel from Jacob K. Gallagher, a fellow Canberran who has jumped onto the fantasy scene in a big way with a complex Australian fantasy story.  Featuring a great urban fantasy narrative loaded with cool details and a distinctive local Australian setting, The Doubles was an excellent read that hooked me extremely quickly.

I had an amazing time with the cool story that Gallagher came up with for The Doubles, that brought together classic urban fantasy elements with the always awesome Australian outback setting.  Following protagonist Kring, an Australian human magic user who works as a monster hunter (known as an Envoy), for the Higher Powers (angels).  After a series of mysterious disappearances of several children, Kring is sent to the small town of Werris Creek in rural New South Wales Australia to investigate the potential appearance of a Trespasser, an invading being from another reality.  Gallagher does an excellent job setting up a lot of these early story elements for The Doubles, including a concise introduction to the magic system and the overarching supernatural governance of this world.

This early worldbuilding is soon backed up by a compelling mystery, as you become invested in discovering what is targeting indigenous children in the area around Werris Creek and replacing them with magical duplicates.  Teaming up with local magical law enforcement agent Dries, Kring is forced into a complex investigation, as they look at impacted locals, legends and the sinister nearby mountain that appears to be at the centre of the mystery.  Gallagher provides some excellent and compelling story elements as The Doubles continues, with Kring and Dries forced to compete with multiple magical attacks as they attempt to uncover the being responsible and destroy them.  The author also throws in some interesting personal struggles, as Kring is forced to deal with social interactions after years of fighting monsters, while Dries attempts to get a more human reaction out of Kring.  Everything leads up to a massive final confrontation that nicely wraps up this specific story, while also hinting at larger issues to come if Gallagher chooses to continue this series.  An overall excellent Australian fantasy story that is guaranteed to hook you with its tense magical action and overarching mystery.

I had an excellent time reading The Doubles, which I felt was both a great Australian debut, and one of the more distinctive fantasy novels of 2026.  The quick paced story loaded with magical mayhem was very addictive right off the bat, and Gallagher produced a great urban fantasy narrative, with humans in the modern world dealing with hidden magic and monsters.  The story contained an impressive blend of world-building, character development and a complex magical mystery, which Gallagher did an excellent job of blending together into a tight, cohesive narrative.  The central mystery was of particular note, and I quite enjoyed seeing the powerful dive into the local culture to uncover clues.  The well-written character development was also quite impressive, and the main duo of the powerful yet impersonal Kring and the more human Dries played off each other extremely well, and it was great to see their clashing views of magic and the risks of the investigation.

While I enjoyed the mystery and character elements of The Doubles, I felt that the highlight was the compelling fantasy elements and the overarching setting of the story.  Gallagher made use of a fun blend of more traditional western fantasy inclusions, such as angels, monsters from another realm, and a system of world-spanning magic rules, which helped to create a fascinating urban fantasy framework for the plot.  These elements are very well introduced, and the reader soon gets their head around many of this universe’s particular rules.  I quite enjoyed the interchange between the angelic Higher Powers who create the rules of magic and the human operated Null Legion that enforce it, especially as it caused some friction for the protagonist, who serves as the angel’s human agent.  Gallagher also created some compelling additional mystery by hinting at secrets and a potential conspiracy behind the Higher Powers, and there were some interesting unanswered questions at the end of this book that will likely bring me back for a sequel.

One thing that made all these fantastic supernatural elements even cooler to me was the way in which Gallagher expertly brought it into an Australian setting by having the protagonists hunt for monsters out in some iconic rural bush territory.  As an avid fantasy reader who reads a lot of Australian fiction, I can tell you that there aren’t enough mainstream fantasy novels out there that feature Australia as a key setting.  Gallagher more than made up for the lack of competition, cleverly portraying some real-life Australian locations and setting them up as the scene of a magical investigation.  A lot of cool elements from this setting, including its local mythology, the Aboriginal history, the isolated nature of the towns and all its local flavour are worked into the plot in some fun ways.  The resulting contrast from the more traditional fantasy inclusions and the local Australian elements was very intriguing and helped The Doubles to stand out as a very special read.

Overall, I had an outstanding time reading The Doubles, which was ended up being an amazing urban fantasy debut.  Jacob Gallagher really wrote something impressive with his first book, and I loved the great magical mystery out in the Australian wilderness.  I really hope that Gallagher choses to write a sequel to The Doubles at some point, as this really was one of the better Australian-set fantasy novels I have had the pleasure of reading.

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Waiting on Wednesday – Floralinda by Tamsyn Muir

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on WednesdayLeave a comment

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, I check out a cool and enticing fantasy novel coming out next year with Floralinda by Tamsyn Muir.

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There are a lot of cool fantasy and science fiction authors out there who specialise in unique and distinctive stories.  However, one of the more popular at the moment is the talented Tamsyn Muir, who gained particular attention in recent years thanks to her Locked Tomb series.  Featuring an elaborate, galaxy-spanning narrative that follows several complex, space-faring lesbian necromancers, the Locked Tomb series is deeply compelling, with some great queer representation.  I had an outstanding time reading the first two books in the series, Gideon the Ninth and Harrow the Ninth, especially as they contained some impressive twists and clever swerves.

While I still need to read the third book in the Locked Tomb series, Nona the Ninth, I currently have my eye set on Muir’s next upcoming book, Floralinda.  A captivating new upcoming fantasy novel, Floralinda looks set to be a fun twist on the classic trapped princess story, which will see the princess in question forced to implement her own escape after all the princes sent to rescue her brutally die.  Set for release in July 2027, Floralinda has an intriguing plot behind it which I really love the sound of.

Plot Synopsis:

THE TOWER BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER. TRUE LOVE MADE THEM WORSE.

The princess in the tower is a classic for a reason. Witch kidnaps princess. Witch puts princess in tower guarded by monsters. Prince kills monsters, rescues princess: happily ever after, roll credits. Princess Floralinda’s story goes a little differently.

Her witch was an artiste, and she got carried away. After a dozen or so princes died on the very first floor, the rest decided there were easier paths to wedded bliss. So Floralinda sets out to rescue herself, armed only with a breadknife, a good upbringing, and a captive fairy named Cobweb.

THE ONLY WAY OUT IS DOWN

Unfortunately for Floralinda, the trouble with the tower is only beginning. On the outside, succession looms. The Fairy Courts call. A princess would have no hope of surviving all that is to come… but maybe a monster could.

The above story for Floralinda sounds extremely cool, and it is something that has definitely caught my attention.  A fun take on the classic trapped princess narrative that sees the princess have enough of her captivity and then fight down multiple levels of a monster-filled tower has a ton of potential, and I imagine that Muir will throw in multiple fun twists as the story continues.  This has the potential to get quite crazy, and I’m very curious to see the author’s first full foray into fantasy fiction, especially one filled with adventure, intrigue and a clever deconstruction of iconic fairy tale tropes.  It also helps that I haven’t had the chance to read Muir’s existing novella, Princess Floralinda and the Forty-Flight Tower, which the author apparently used as a base for this book, so I can check out Floralinda with no existing expectations.

Due to it’s awesome sounding plot, Floralinda is now one of the top fantasy releases in 2027 that I want to read.  Sure to be one of the more entertaining and unique fantasy novels of the year, Floralinda has so much potential, and I cannot wait to see how Tamsyn Muir’s next book turns out.  I have no doubt I’m going to love every second that the protagonist spends descending this crazy tower, and Floralinda is going to be such an incredible read.

He Who Fights With Monsters: Outworlder by Travis Deverell (Shirtaloon)

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Fantasy, Throwback ThursdayLeave a comment

Publisher: Michael Joseph (Trade Paperback – 7 July 2026, originally published 23 February 2021)

Series: He Who Fights With Monsters – Volume One

Length: 755 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Looking for something to scratch your LitRPG itch?  Then dive into the acclaimed world of He Who Fights With Monsters, the first entry in an impressive series from Australian author Travis Deverell.

Fantasy fiction has a lot of interesting subgenres to it, with one of the more distinctive being the popular LitRPG genre, which throws ordinary humans into RPG settings.  This often results in some awesome narratives, where self-aware characters attempt to survive in fantasy worlds where the game system and its components are part of the setting.  While I so far haven’t read a ton of LitRPG books, it is a subgenre that I’m getting a lot more into recently, especially as there are a ton of awesome and often bonkers LitRPG books out there.  It’s thanks to this interest in the wider LitRPG genre that I made sure to pick up a copy of the first volume of Travis Deverell’s He Who Fights With Monsters, a long-running series that is considered a major recent addition to LitRPG fiction.

Travis Deverell is an Australian author who rose to prominence through writing on the Royal Road web novel site.  Also known as Shirtaloon, Deverell’s work on Royal Road formed into the He Who Fights With Monsters series, which has previously been released through independent publishing.  I was lucky enough to receive a review copy of the new trade paperback first volume of He Who Fights With Monsters released by Penguin Random House Australia (through their Michael Joseph imprint), I was quite intrigued by its fun sounding plot.  As such, I eagerly dived into this first book (titled in this release as Outworlder), and swiftly got drawn into this cool new series.

Plot Synopsis:

It’s not an easy career jump, going from retail assistant manager to interdimensional adventurer. Jason doesn’t have much of a choice, though, when he wakes up naked confused in a world of mystery and magic.

It wasn’t prophecy that brought him here. He wasn’t chosen. It was the wrong place, the wrong time and the very, very wrong guy. The wizard who summoned him by accident does not react well.

In short order, Jason will have to fight monsters, face cultists, escape cannibals and find some pants, preferably not in that order.

The good news? He has powers. The bad news? They’re kind of evil.

With no idea where he is or what he’s doing, he’s going to need friends, and fast, because in this world, power isn’t just about magic and monsters.

Jason will have to deal with politicians, noble houses and crime lords to survive. He’ll need to master his powers, evil or not, hopefully without becoming the worst monster of all.

Now that was a particularly epic and ultra-fun read.  I must admit that I didn’t quite know what to expect from He Who Fights With Monsters, but I honestly loved every second I spent with it.  There was something about this great first volume that quickly drew me in, and I soon got stuck powering through the novel’s wildly entertaining and compelling story.  A remarkably addictive read that serves as an outstanding introduction to the He Who Fights With Monsters series, I am so very glad I got a copy of this book.

The plot behind this first volume of He Who Fights With Monsters was extremely fun and awesome, and I was really impressed with how effectively Deverell dragged me into the action.  Starting off with a classic LitRPG set-up, with protagonist Jason Asano awaking in a strange fantasy land with no idea how he got there.  Equipped with a gaming interface and character abilities, Jason is soon forced to fight off monsters and cannibalistic cultists in a series of escalating misadventures while trying to figure out what is going on.  I quite liked this start to the story, although I felt it didn’t get going until Jason met up with several fellow adventures who, after some mutual saving and unlikely victories, agree to help Jason and teach him about this new world.

From this initial starting point, Deverell soon creates a rich and complex larger narrative and surrounding setting, and the reader gets an excellent crash-course in the magical system, how the world is set up, an explanation for how Jason is there.  With no other option, Jason accompanies his new friends on a journey to a nearby major city, and starts the process to become an adventurer, which includes taking on quests, fighting monsters and finding his own unique magical style.  The author keeps building in more world-building elements in this first half of the book, and you start to get a better idea of Jason’s personality, as well as hints about future threats.  The plot gets particularly interesting once Jason arrives at this volume’s central location of Greenstone, a major city where Jason endeavours to become a professional adventurer and soon gets in embroiled with a whole new range of supporting characters.

While I did quite enjoy the first half of He Who Fights With Monsters, I think the second half was stronger as Deverell didn’t need to explain the key concepts of his world as much and instead was able to unleash Jason and his full personality onto the unsuspecting city.  Jason soon finds himself experiencing multiple challenges and threats as he joins the Adventurer’s Society and becomes a player in local politics.  At the same time, Deverell sets up several intriguing secondary storylines around the other supporting characters, which blend well with the main adventure.  There is some excellent progression in the protagonist’s abilities and insights in this second half of the book, and I found it quite amusing to try and deal with the various threats and influences of the city.  Several of the ongoing storylines set in Greenstone come together in impressive fashion towards the end of the novel, especially as there is an extended series of fights with a dangerous new threat.  The author throws in some last-minute tragedy, as well as some moments that hammer home the underlying issues of corruption and stupidity that Jason was fighting through most of the book.  I felt that this volume ended on an interesting and compelling note, and there are several open storylines left to explore in the next volume of the story.

I rather enjoyed the writing in He Who Fights With Monsters, although it was admittedly rough in places.  It was a little obvious that Deverell was writing for an online audience, which resulted in some interesting style choices, most of which you get used to as the book continues.  For example, I initially questioned the author’s choice of writing this story in the third person, as I felt that a first-person perspective would have been a better choice.  However, the author made this third-person perspective work, as it allowed him to set up several storylines outside of the Jason’s perspective, while also showcasing the supporting character’s view the protagonist.  This book also had a great flow to it, with lots of action, compelling worldbuilding, and some very entertaining sequences.

All this resulted in an excellent blend of excitement, intrigue and humour, which was honestly addictive enough to keep me coming back and power through the over 700 pages within this volume.  This very compelling writing allowed me to overlook a lot of the book’s initial roughness, although I cannot forgive the weird error that resulted in various sentences of the book having noticeably different spacing.  I’m not sure if this was an issue with the Penguin release of He Who Fights With Monsters, or it’s just been carried over from the online edition, but it kept taking me out of the story, especially as the first few times I thought it was a deliberate choice to attempt to show a character talking quickly.  Whatever it was, I hope it’s not in future volumes, as it looks quite amateurish next to the rest of the fantastic formatting and artwork.

On top of the exciting story, I felt that a major highlight of He Who Fights With Monsters was the compelling worldbuilding.  The author clearly put a lot of thought into this compelling new fantasy world, which serves as a mirror to ours, filled with monsters, adventurers and magic.  Many of these elements were quite clever in concept and utilisation, as Deverell did an outstanding job introducing all these ideas to the reader.  He Who Fights With Monsters’ magical system, which involves adventurers absorbing various essences and slowly unlocking abilities associated with them, was particularly clever and helped to standout.  This cool system allowed for the author to introduce to some interesting power combinations, especially for the protagonist, and you quickly get the hang of its peculiarities and enjoy all the possibilities around it.

I also was very impressed with how the author worked the LitRPG aspect of the book into the narrative, introducing a credible reason why the protagonist had a game interface into his head, and ensuring that his ability to accept quests, loot corpses and more, seemed quite natural in the context of the story.  This great use of the LitRPG concept, as well as making the setting a real world with real people rather than a video game, ensured that there were some real stakes to the story, and helped to turn it into a particularly captivating adventure.

Another very interesting part of the He Who Fights With Monsters are the characters, especially the protagonist Jason Asano, who I had heard in advance was a bit of a divisive figure for readers.  I initially didn’t see any issues with Jason, who at first seemed to be a typical fish-out-of-water fantasy protagonist whose lack of knowledge about what is going on allowed readers to learn about the world and magic system at the same pace.  Even after the initial parts of the book, Jason seemed liked an entertaining main character, with a quirky sense of humour and insights into the fantasy world born from gamer experience.

However, once you get to the part of the story set in Greenstone, I began to understand why some readers didn’t like him, as Deverell starts to showcase his ability to read people and manipulate them.  Despite being framed as a good guy, there is a certain arrogance behind how he interacts with a lot of characters, including being quite dismissive of well-established aspects of the new world he finds himself in.  Jason also came across as kind of conceited when it came to dealing with the inherent inequalities of the fantasy world.  While in a lot of cases this was justified, especially when dealing with incompetent or corrupt adventurers and nobles, it honestly came across as a little preachy at times.  Still, this slightly annoying character trait wasn’t enough to reduce my enjoyment of He Who Fights With Monsters, and I quite enjoyed seeing Jason develop as an adventurer.  While there is a certain amount of plot armour in how quickly he advances, I felt that Deverell hit the right mark in Jason’s development in this first book and ensured that it filled the bounds of a typical progressive fantasy book.  I especially liked the character build that Deverall gifted Jason, turning him into a shadowy affliction specialist with various evil-themed powers.  Watching Jason attempt to balance his pleasant nature with the scary abilities he needs to work with was a key part of the character’s arc in this first volume, and I think it was a compelling and memorable bit of character development.  I’m very curious to see Jason evolves as the series continues, and must highlight how fun it is to have an Australian character in a big fantasy series.

I do quickly want to mention the larger cast of this first He Who Fights With Monsters book, as Deverell introduces a large group of supporting characters throughout the novel.  While most of these characters are very overshadowed by Jason and his antics, there are still some entertaining or complex figures here, whose own personal storylines work into the large plot of the novel.  I quite enjoyed seeing some of their relevant storylines, and it also ensured the reader got several outsider perspectives of Jason and his actions, which helped to highlight just how weird the protagonist seems to the inhabitants of this new fantasy world.  Many of these characters were quite likeable, and I rather got attached to Jason’s initial party in this world, Rufus, Farrah and Gary (the three of whom get a short story at the end of this volume).  While there is no major named antagonist in this first book, Deverell introduces some fun secondary villains who serve as a good initial opponent for Jason alongside the multitude of monsters he faces, especially as he is forced to deal with politics, intrigue and criminal networks.  All these characters, and more, added a lot to the larger story, and the resulting interactions produced some great moments.

With a highly entertaining blend of action, complex world building and a certain chaotic energy, the first volume of Travis Deverell’s He Who Fights With Monsters proved to be an exceptional hit that I couldn’t stop thinking about.  Featuring an outstanding LitRPG adventure set around a compelling protagonist, He Who Fights With Monsters was really something special, and I really couldn’t stop reading it at times.  I’m definitely planning to keep reading this series now that I’ve powered through the first volume, and I cannot wait to see what crazy antics and moments happen in the rest of the series.

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Waiting on Wednesday – Termina Station by Nick Martell

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday1 Comment

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 my latest Waiting on Wednesday post, I look at a unique and compelling new fantasy novel coming out in 2027 with Termina Station by Nick Martell.

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There have been some very talented fantasy authors who have gotten their start in the 2020s, but one of these authors who really stood out to me was the incredible Nick Martell.  Debuting in 2020, Martell impressed me right off the bat with The Kingdom of Liars.  The first book in his Legacy of the Mercenary King trilogy, The Kingdom of Liars was an exceptional fantasy novel that saw a damaged protagonist attempt to restore his disgraced family and uncover a conspiracy impacting his city.  I had such a great time with The Kingdom of Liars and it ended up being one of my favourite books, audiobooks and debuts of 2020.  Martell continued this excellent writing throughout the entirety of the Legacy of the Mercenary King series, with the following books, The Two-Faced Queen and The Voyage of the Forgotten, each being incredible reads. Indeed, The Two-Faced Queen was one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021, while The Voyage of the Forgotten was one of my favourite books of 2022.

After such a great opening trilogy, I made sure to keep an eye out for more books from Martell, and I was especially keen for some sort of sequel series that would follow some of the open storylines from the first series.  However, after a few years without any news from Martell and I was beginning to worry we might not see any more from him.  That changed earlier this week when by chance I found out that Martell had a new book coming out in 2027, Termina Station.

Termina Station, which is currently set for release in February 2027, is an intriguing new novel from Martell, which takes a protagonist on a unique sounding journey through life and death.  This new book has very compelling plot idea behind it, which should prove interesting to explore as it is a very different sort of fantasy adventure from Martell.

Plot Synopsis:

Joe Hill’sNOS4A2 meets Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes in this captivating novel about a father trapped in Knowhere, a deadly border town between life and death, run by the sinister Mister Teeth.

When Roger falls asleep on the train after a long day at work, he’s shocked to learn he isn’t stuck at the end of the line. Instead, he emerges from the last stop to step out into the rainy gloom…in a place he’s never heard of: Knowhere, where monsters roam at night and the only way home is to travel through each of the five ringdoms to the very center. It is only there, at Termina Station, that he can take a train out of Knowhere and return to his wife and children.

But each ringdom has its own twisted logic, and the ticketmaster, Mister Teeth, isn’t keen on letting Roger out of Knowhere. With Mister Teeth’s son in tow, Roger hopes he has what it takes to puzzle his way out of each ringdom and face his demons in the process. But Mister Teeth is a powerful enemy, and he’ll do anything to stop his son from boarding the train at Termina Station.

Termina Station looks set to be a very curious and compelling new book, which is looks set to be very different from Martell’s previous epic-fantasy trilogy.  A standalone fantasy story about exploring a dark realm of death and mystery likely inspired by the protagonists’ own demons has a Stephen King-vibe to it (or Joe Hill as the above synopsis suggests), and I’ll be interested to see how Martell brings this about in Termina Station.  This will likely be a very personal, character-driven story, with the protagonist forced to overcome aspects of their past, and I’m curious to see how that ties into the more fantastic or horror-inspired aspects of the setting.  I’m also intrigued by the book’s villain, Mister Teeth, who has the potential to be a chilling and haunting figure, and I cannot wait to see them hunting the protagonist.  All this promises to be quite a cool story, and I know that Martell has the writing chops to really pull it together into something special.

If I’m being honest, the moment that I saw Nick Martell had a new book coming out, I knew I had to read it.  However, the above intriguing plot idea has also gotten me quite excited, and I am now very keen to read Termina Station.  Sure to be one of the more unique novels of early 2027, Termina Station is now very high on my to-read list for the new year, and I cannot wait to dive into it.

Waiting on Wednesday – Absolon Creed by R. S. Ford

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Murder Mystery, Waiting on WednesdayLeave a comment

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 week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I check out an awesome upcoming fantasy novel with Absolon Creed by R. S. Ford.

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I’m always in the mood for epic and dark fantasy reads and one of the more compelling sounding upcoming releases of 2026 is set to be released by R. S. Ford.  Ford is a veteran fantasy author who has previously written several intriguing series across the genres.  This includes his The Age of Uprising series (Engines of Empire), as well as some other excellent fantasy releases.  Readers may also be familiar with Ford’s contributions to the historical fiction genre under the alternate pen name of Richard Cullen, which includes his excellent Chronicles of the Black Lion series (Rebellion and Crusade).  I’ve had a great time with several of Ford’s previous novels; however, his next book has the potential to be his most exciting.

This new book is the fantastic sounding Absolon Creed, which is currently set for release in November 2026.  A grimdark fantasy novel with a compelling murder mystery centre, Absolon Creed sounds awesome, as it sets a monster-slaying knight on a quest to uncover a killer in city on the edge of ruin.  Everything about this novel, including its brutal setting, damaged protagonists and captivating plot, sounds incredible, and I have no doubt it is going to result in an outstanding read.  As such, I am extremely excited for Absolon Creed, and I have a feeling it is going to be a top fantasy novel of 2026.

Plot Synopsis:

A legendary soldier is the last line of defense between his city and monstrous chaos in this grimdark adventure from an unmissable voice in epic fantasy.

Bastion, the once-shining capital of Morrengard, teeters on the brink. Its grand spires are crumbling and its nobility fight over scraps, all while eldritch creatures stalk the streets. The only thing standing in the way of its utter destruction is the Order of Draken: a knightly order more brutal than the threats the city faces. And its most brutal champion… Absolon Creed.

When two nobles are found murdered in a manner most grotesque, suspicions arise about a traitor within the Order itself. Creed is tasked with investigating, and for his sins he is saddled with a partner: Guenivar Blackmere, a daughter of nobility and the Order’s newest, and most untested, initiate.

Together, they are plunged into Bastion’s fetid underbelly, where warlocks rub elbows with corrupt nobles and necromancers cavort with the dead. Guenivar must learn fast or perish under Creed’s cold tutelage. Her mentor is quick to anger, and about as friendly as a cornered wolf, but that is the only way to survive these unforgiving streets.

But as the investigation deepens, Guenivar discovers a secret about him that could shatter everything she believed about the order and its heroes. While Creed himself must defeat the ghosts he’s spent years trying to bury… before they bury Bastion itself.

The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Fantasy, Five-Star Books, Historical Fiction, LGBT+1 Comment

Publisher: Tor (Trade Paperback– 24 February 2026)

Series: Standalone/Book One

Length: 535 pages

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Australian author Cameron Sullivan delivers one of the best and most compelling debuts of 2026, with the historical fantasy epic, The Red Winter, a truly impressive read that you won’t be able to put down.

Plot Synopsis:

A devastating love story.
A bewitching twist on history.
A blood-drenched hunt for purpose, power, and redemption.

In 1785, Professor Sebastian Grave receives the news he fears most: the Beast of Gévaudan has returned, and the French countryside runs red in its wake.

Sebastian knows the Beast. Twenty years ago, it nearly cost him his life to bring the monster down. Now, he has been recalled to the hunt by Antoine Avenel d’Ocerne, an estranged lover who shares a dark history with the Beast and a terrible secret with Sebastian. With the help of his indwelling demon, Sarmodel – who takes payment in living hearts – Sebastian must return to Gévaudan for a final reckoning, while the Beast is poised to plunge the continent into war.

In this dark retelling of the hunt for the Beast of Gévaudan, Cameron Sullivan tears the heart out of history. He lifts the veil on the hidden world behind our own and reimagines the story of Europe, from Imperial Rome to Saint Jehanne d’Arc and the first flickers of the French Revolution.

Wow, want an outstanding and incredible debut.  I must admit that when I first received The Red Winter, having very little prior knowledge of what it was about, I didn’t know what to expect.  Still, I decided to give it a chance, and found myself quickly enthralled by Cameron Sullivan’s brilliant storytelling, excellent humour, and use of multiple intriguing periods of French history.  One of the best books I have so far read in 2026, The Red Winter gets a full five-star rating from me, and I loved it so damn much.

I loved the unique and layered story that Sullivan came up with for The Red Winter, which thrust readers through several different periods of French history in a slightly alternate world filled with demons, angels and spiritual power.  Told primarily from the perspective of Professor Sebastian Grave, an immortal sorcerer with a demonic spirit bound to him, the book serves as a personal chronicle of several connected past adventures in France.  Starting with a storyline set in 1785, the book sees Professor Grave encounter Jacques Avenel d’Ocerne, the son of his former lover Antoine d’Ocerne, who requests Grave return with him to the Gévaudan region of France to fulfil a contract he holds with his father.  Setting off on this new journey, the reader soon starts following Grave’s previous adventure in Gévaudan in 1766, when Grave first encounters Antoine and finds himself drawn into the hunt for the infamous Beast of Gévaudan, a monster terrorising the area and killing many locals.  The story also features an interesting third storyline set out as an Addendum to the main narrative.  This Addendum takes place throughout the early 14th century and is also told in the form a chronicle, this one primarily written by Grave’s succubus servant Livia, who attempts to uncover a valuable artifact in war-torn France, dragging her employer into further danger and carnage.

Without giving too much away, Sullivan masterfully binds these storylines together, as he simultaneously follows the events of all three time periods.  Most of the focus is on the two 18th century storylines, with the consequences of Grave’s attempts to hunt the beast in 1766 coming back to bite him when the same monster returns in 1785, with even greater savagery.  At the same time, the Addendum narrative contains even more chaos, which sees Grave first unknowing encounter with the Beast, and establishes much of this creature’s history and motivations, as well as Grave’s long-time obsession with obtaining its power.

Each of these different plotlines provides the reader with something different, including a great tragic romance narrative in the 1766 adventures, covered over with dark unexplained events from real-life history.  This blends well with the more entertaining misadventures showcased in the Addendum, and the darker storyline in 1785, as Grave and other character are forced to relive all their past mistakes and uncover how the Beast survived.  I honestly grew quite attached to all three of the different plot threads, as each contains a brilliant and compelling narrative that stands on its own.  However, it’s the way that Sullivan weaves a larger, more complete narrative from them, that is the real highlight of The Red Winter, and which raised this entire book to a five-star epic.  Each storyline perfectly flows into the other, and learning revelations from one has great impacts on your understanding of the others.  Sullivan also captures the regret and anger of the protagonist (and other characters), in each progressive timeframe, and I loved seeing the true impacts of past decisions and bad decisions haunt people years down the line.  I really cannot emphasise just how impactful, addictive and well-put-together this incredible narrative was, and you are guaranteed to come away from it deeply entranced.

While the epic storyline of The Red Winter was very awesome in its own right, Sullivan’s moving writing style added an extra impressive kick to it that constantly kept the reader coming back for more.  I’ve already mentioned a few times the different time periods, separate narrative threads and even an alternate narrator, and these effective writing tools were each used to great effect.  However, I really need to emphasise the way that each of them had their own unique feeling of tragedy, anger and personal regrets, especially thanks to the different experiences of the protagonist, that ensured they all stood out.  The difference in tone between these three simultaneous plotlines produces a truly vibrant and emotionally charged novel, and I loved how each storyline got dark in their own way, while still having some moments of levity.

While there are some tonal differences, each plotline has some excellent and consistent humour behind it.  Much of this humour is driven by the interaction between Grave and his internal spirit, Sarmodel, as well as the selfish and cynical antics of Livia in the 14th century plotline.  Sullivan also makes great use of various entertaining footnotes, which not only provide further context for this fantasy version of the world, but also add some additional comedy outside the flow of the main story.  This humour blends well with the darker elements of The Red Winter, and the contrast and occasional lighter tone makes this book even easier to read and enjoy.  Indeed, Sullivan’s entire writing style in The Red Winter was very inviting and easy going at times, and I was quite impressed with how effortlessly he conveyed a lot of complicated bits of real-life history and his own personal lore to the reader.  There was never a part of The Red Winter that got bogged down in extensive occult discussion or deep dives into history, and Sullivan’s writing keeps the reader hooked all the way from start to finish.

One of the big highlights of The Red Winter for me was Sullivan’s clever use of French history, which also tied into a wider world of magic and religious truth that only the protagonist and his associates are aware of.  As with most successful urban fantasy series, Sullivan ensures that the setting of The Red Winter is very similar to the real-world in terms of history and society, but with hidden magic just beneath the surface and only visible to a few.  The author works these elements cleverly into the story, with the protagonist explaining to the reader the realities of magic and the divine, both in text and through the aforementioned footnotes.  These descriptions and explanations work into the main narrative well, and you soon understand the implications of what the protagonist is experiencing or doing, as well as the dark consequences of everything that he does.  While much of the magic in this book is more subtle than some other fantasy reads, it is still quite impactful, and its clever design and inclusion of battling angels, demons and other godlike beings really upped the stakes at times.

On top of the fantasy elements, Sullivan does an excellent job showcasing three different periods of French history, especially based around the Gévaudan region of France.  This includes the post-Hundred-Years War period in the 14th century, the early waning days of the French monarch in 1766, and the angry start of the French revolution around 1785.  Each of these are explored masterfully, and not only does this help to give each separate plotline its own unique identity, but Sullivan gives some interesting mystical or spiritual origin to some certain historical events.  However, the historical element I liked the most was the compelling dive into the mysterious occurrence of the Beast of Gévaudan.  A heavily documented series of creature attacks in Gévaudan in the 1760s, the story of the Beast of Gévaudan wasn’t something I was too familiar with before getting this book, but boy am I interested in it now.  While Sullivan does put his own spin on the origins of these events, he did capture much of the actual recorded history of the Beast of Gévaudan attacks, with several historical figures appearing as supporting characters.  I found this to be deeply fascinating, and it served as a very interesting centre to much of the story, primarily the near half of the book set in 1766.  I cannot emphasise just how fascinating Sullivan’s dive and use of this curious event was to the plot of The Red Winter, and I really must congratulate him for finding and using such a fitting piece of historical weirdness.

Finally, I need to mention some of the great characters featured throughout The Red Winter.  Sullivan utilises a rich cast, combining immortals and magical beings, with normal humans caught up in their crossfire.  The obvious focus is on main protagonist and point-of-view character Professor Sebastian Grave, a seemingly immortal being who has already lived for over a thousand years at this point in the story.  An entertaining figure, bowed by his experiences yet still retaining the ability to fall in love and make mistakes, Grave was an interesting conduit for the reader to explore this dark tale, and I loved his unique and often cynical take on events, often written with some unfortunate hindsight.  While you don’t get a lot of character development from Grave due to his immortal status, there is still some moving moments with this character, especially when more tragedy comes his way, and he is forced to deal with old mistakes and failings.  The way that Sullivan simultaneously showcases Grave’s passionate romance with Antoine in 1766, and the distain Antoine holds for him in 1785, added some great drama to the plot, and you really become intrigued by what led to these events.  This doomed romance and the history behind it drive much of Grave’s later story, and it was compelling to see how much regret he holds and how it continues to impact him.

Aside from Grave, there are several other great characters of note in The Red Winter, many of whom steal the show in their own way.  This includes the demonic spirit Sarmodel, a mysterious being that has lodged itself into Grave’s soul, giving him immortality and much of his power.  Thanks to their connection, which is nearly another romance, Sarmodel serves as a background voice to Grave’s actions.  I loved the constant bickering back and forth between Grave and Sarmodel (like a very old married couple), and it honestly added a lot of humour and internal discord to the novel.  Sarmodel’s needs also serve as a great motivator for this protagonist duo, with Sarmodel constantly driving Grave to find sources of life and magic to feed him, and it was interesting to see how that impacted their adventures.  The use of the d’Ocerne father and son duo was also an excellent character use in The Red Winter, primarily because of their relationships with Grave, but also because of how their separate mistakes and secrets impact each other and bring greater tragedy to the plot.  Throw in a disobedient succubus assistant, controlled by her own vices, various interesting historical luminaries and even the Archangel Michael who is working his own angle in events, and the cast of The Red Winter was impressive, and helped move the story in some awesome directions.

Thanks to his obvious talent, impressive ability and fantastic imagination, Cameron Sullivan’s debut novel, The Red Winter, was an exceptional read, and I honestly still can’t get over how much I loved it.  A particularly clever, moving and addictive novel, The Red Winter was an absolute pleasure to read, and I loved every single second I spent with it.  I honestly hope that Sullivan revisits his main characters again in the future, as there is so much potential for further adventures across history.  Until then, The Red Winter remains one of the most impressive recent debuts I’ve had the pleasure of reading, and indeed it was one of the very best books I read in the first half of 2026.

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Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Books Releasing During the Second Half of 2026 (Fantasy and Science Fiction)

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, List, Science Fiction2 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.  For this latest Top Ten Tuesday participants need to list their top anticipated releases for the second half of 2026.  I am planning to do two versions of this list, one that will exclusively look at upcoming thrillers, crime fiction, historical fiction, and more, and this one that will focus on upcoming fantasy and science fiction books.

2026 has so far been an amazing year for books (something I will cover in next week’s Top Ten Tuesday), with some impressive novels coming out and blowing me away.  However, the year is far from over and there are so many epic-sounding novels set for release in the second half of 2026.  To fill out this list I have scoured my list of anticipated upcoming releases and tried to work out which of the books coming out between the start of July and the end of December I am most looking forward to.  I already have a couple of these books, but I think it’s worth including them here, especially as I still need to make time to read them.

I had initially intended to only do a single list featuring all the genres, however, I ended up with way too many awesome upcoming novels on my radar.  So, to fairly feature them all, and to save myself from some hard decisions, I decided to split this post into two separate lists, starting with this one on fantasy and science fiction.  I still had to cut out several impressive upcoming releases, but I was a lot happier with how these lists turned out, especially as I was able to feature so many epic upcoming reads that I am going to have the most fun reading.  Due to how much potential that I think the entries on this list have, several have previously appeared in my weekly Waiting on Wednesday articles, as well as on my recent Winter TBR list.   So let us get to my selections and find out which upcoming novels are my most anticipated fantasy and science fiction releases for the second half of 2026.

Honourable Mentions:

The Infinite State by Richard Swan – 4 August 2026

An intriguing science fiction read from a rising Australian author known for his compelling fantasy books.

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The Deep and the Drowned by Ian Green – 6 August 2026

An epic fantasy novel with an outstanding cover that also sounds like an extremely awesome read.

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Scion by James Islington – 1 September 2026

A cool science fiction thriller from the very impressive James Islington.  This will be an interesting departure from some of Islington’s recent, massive fantasy novels, and I’m keen to explore this Australian author’s alternate work.

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Absolon Creed by R. S. Ford – 10 November 2026

An interesting sounding dark fantasy novel, which sees a feared knight investigate a murder within a city besieged by eldritch forces.

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Top Ten Tuesday:

A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett – 11 August 2026

Let’s start this list off on a high note with the new book from Robert Jackson Bennett, A Trade of Blood.  Following on from Bennett’s exceptional novels The Tainted Cup (one of my favourite books of 2024) and A Drop of Corruption (one of my favourite books of 2025), A Trade of Blood will return the reader to a chaotic land constantly under attack from giant sea monsters to follow an unusual investigative duo of a troubled detective and her practical assistant.  This time attempting to stop a civil war by proving a clearly guilty party did not actually commit a murder, A Trade of Blood sound very intriguing and I am very curious about where it’s narrative will go.  Based on how exceptional the first two books in this series were, I already know that A Trade of Blood is going to be one of the top books of 2026.

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The Dungeon Book by Gareth Hanrahan – 11 August 2026

The next book on this list is one of the more entertaining entries, with The Dungeon Book by Gareth Hanrahan.  Set to follow a surprisingly innocent protagonist raised in a fantasy dungeon by various classic monsters and beasts, The Dungeon Book has a very amusing plot behind it, especially when our hero encounters true evil entering the dungeon, other humans.  I love the sound of this amazing upcoming novel, and The Dungeon Book seems like something that I can have a lot of fun with.

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Upon the Forge of Battle by Anthony Ryan – 25 August 2026

After consistently having an incredible time with Anthony Ryan’s various fantasy novels over the last few years, there is no way that I will be missing out on Upon the Forge of Battle in 2026.  The third and final book in Ryan’s Age of Wrath series, Upon the Forge of Battle will conclude the outstanding, Viking-themed story already featured in A Tide of Black Steel and Born of an Iron Storm.  I am excited to see how all the big character arcs in this series come together, and I have no doubt Upon the Forge of Battle is going to be an epic final entry in a very strong series.

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Settle Down by Jeremy Robinson – 25 August 2026

After already impressing me with the twisted and compelling 30Seven (review to follow very soon) Jeremy Robinson will provide even more entertaining science fiction hijinks in 2026 with his next novel, Settle Down.  Another science fiction hybrid, Settle Down will feature a unique combination of genres when a group of plane-crash survivors find out that the rest of the world has been invaded by aliens while they’ve been marooned on an isolated island.  This is honestly one of the more entertaining plot ideas I’ve seen in 2026, and I’m sure Robinson is going to turn Settle Down into a particularly clever and powerful novel.

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The Wolves of War by John Gwynne – 8 September 2026

Even more Viking-inspired adventure is in store for fantasy fans in the second half of 2026, with the new book from the acclaimed John Gwynne, The Wolves of War.  The first book in The Wolfheart Chronicles, The Wolves of War will see an unlikely protagonist attempt to master her powers to save everyone she loves from a looming war.  I am really looking forward to reading this book, especially after loving every second of Gwynne’s previous Bloodsworn Saga, and it seems like The Wolves of War is going to be a particularly powerful and personal novel from this author.  An exciting and cool book for the second half of 2026.

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Star Wars: Edge of the Abyss by Rebecca Roanhorse – 15 September 2026

Star Wars fans have a lot to look forward to in the second half of 2026, with the next book in the Reign of the Empire series, Edge of the Abyss.  Following on from The Mask of Fear, this second Reign of the Empire novel will be written by Rebecca Roanhorse and will chart the early days of the Rebel Alliance.  Following several key extended universe characters, Edge of the Abyss will feature a great mixture of space politics, personal storylines and compelling insights into one of the best periods of Star Wars lore.  I am quite excited to see how Roanhorse will continue this series, and I can’t wait to get my next dose of Star Wars nerdom.

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The Only Way Out is Up by Django Wexler – 29 September 2026

Another delightful book that I’m excited for later this year is the exciting science fiction novel, The Only Way Out is Up by Django Wexler.  Set to follow a small-time scrap salvager and his pet robot as they enters a legendary robot fighting tournament, The Only Way Out is Up sounds like a ton of awesome fun, and I am very keen to read it, especially after loving some of Wexler’s previous works.

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The Thrice-Bound Fool by Christopher Buehlman – 13 October 2026

One of the most anticipated fantasy novels coming out in the second half of 2026 is The Thrice-Bound Fool by Christopher Buehlman.  The long-awaited sequel to Buehlman’s beloved The Blacktongue Thief, The Thrice-Bound Fool will see the protagonists from the first book embark on a continent spanning quest as they attempt to survive a deadly guild of killers coming after them.  I am excited for this book after finally reading The Blacktongue Thief earlier this year, and I’m also hoping to read the prequel novel, The Daughter’s War before The Thrice-Bound Fool comes out in October.

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Ghosts of the Void by Jonathan Maberry – 13 October 2026

One of my favourite authors, Jonathan Maberry, brings one of his series to a close later this year with Ghosts of the Void.  The third and final book in the NecroTek trilogy, Ghosts of the Void will follow on from NecroTek and Cold War and will follow a stranded group of humans as they attempt to fight a galactic war against cosmic horrors.  I’ve had a brilliant time with this shocking series, and I’m sure that Maberry has some excellent dark twists in store to finish it off.

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Monsters of Ohio by John Scalzi – 3 November 2026

The final book on this list is the next entertaining release from the wonderful John Scalzi, Monsters of Ohio.  A very compelling sounding standalone novel, Monsters of Ohio will take readers on an unusual journey when strange, world-changing events start in a small town in Ohio.  Scalzi always provides some clever and thought-provoking reads, and I’m sure that Monsters of Ohio is going to be a fantastic novel for the end of 2026.

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That is the end of this list.  I am extremely happy with how my latest Top Ten Tuesday article turned out, and this list contains an intriguing collection of upcoming fantasy and science fiction books that should prove to be incredible reads.  I think that every one of the books I mentioned above has some amazing potential, and most, if not all, will probably end up with a full five-star rating from me.  Make sure to also check out my next list where I dive into upcoming thrillers, crime fiction, historical fiction and more.  Let me also know if any of the above interest you and let me know what your most anticipated releases for the next six months are in the comments below.

Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Comedy/Satire, Extended Universe, Fantasy, Five-Star Books, Murder Mystery, Throwback ThursdayLeave a comment

Publisher: Gollancz/Penguin Random (Audiobook – 6 June 1996)

Series: Discworld – Book 19/City Watch – Book Three

Length: 12 hours and 20 minutes

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Even after many, many re-reads, the awesome fantasy satire novel Feet of Clay remains one of my favourite Discworld novels by the late, great Terry Pratchett, with its intricate crime fiction narrative, compelling characters, and even a cool new audiobook version.

I’ve done a lot of Discworld re-reading recently as I have been checking out several of the best books in the series on their new audiobook formats, which featured cool new narrators.  This new format has proven particularly awesome for books like Mort, Pyramids, Moving Pictures and Small Gods, as well as for entries in my favourite Discworld subseries, the City Watch books.

While I have a lot of love for all the books in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, my absolute favourites come from the City Watch subseries.  Following the unlikely members of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch, a rag-tag team of guards who go from losers to an effective police force, the City Watch books features an exceptional combination of fantasy and crime fiction elements, wrapped up in Pratchett’s usual satirical humour.  The first two books in this series, Guards! Guards! and Men at Arms are quite exceptional, and it was a very easy decision to also check out the epic third novel in the series, Feet of Clay.

After several unlikely but successful investigations, things are looking up for the Ankh-Morpork City Watch.  No longer a home for the dregs of society, the City Watch is now a respected crime-fighting unit.  Led by Commander Sam Vimes, the Watch’s enthusiastic, if unusual, members are determined to bring some law and order to the city of Ankh-Morpork, whether it wants it or not.

However, even with their new resources and members, the Watch find themselves troubled by a series of brutal murders occurring throughout the city.  All the victims were bludgeoned to death, but there is no evidence of anyone alive, or undead, having been at the crime scene.  At the same time, the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork has been poisoned by unknown methods and is only barely clinging to life.  If the Patrician dies, sanity in the city will be the next to fall.

To solve both cases, Vimes and his watchmen will need to investigate an overlooked underclass in the city, the golems, whose ancient secrets and desires may lie at the heart of the killings.  But with desperate conspiracies, unlikely noble heirs and a new deranged king coming to light, can the City Watch uncover the figures pulling the strings in the darkness of Ankh-Morpork before it’s too late?

Wow, how is this book still so damn good?  Feet of Clay was another outstanding read from Terry Pratchett, who once again deeply impresses with his exceptional writing, unmatched humour, and deeply relatable characters.  This third City Watch book is probably some of Pratchett’s very best work, and it gets an extremely easy five-star rating from me.

I absolutely love the great narrative that Pratchett came up with for Feet of Clay, which I personally thinks has one of the author’s best crime fiction narratives behind it, as the complex characters humorously manoeuvre around the gritty streets of Ankh-Morpork.  This book features a fun start that perfectly sets the scene for several of the key characters, including protagonist Sam Vimes’s daily routine of assassins and high society.  You are also quickly thrust into the Watch’s new case involving two elderly academics bludgeoned to death.  These initial investigations, as well as some other great sequences, set the scene for much of the rest of the book, with the narrative becoming even more hectic when Vimes discovers that the Patrician has been poisoned by unknown conspirators.

Afte the initial set-up, the rest of the story flows by extremely fast, with several character-driven storylines that flow together perfectly.  The primary focus is on the two seemingly separate investigations into the murders and the poisonings, with Captain Carrot and Vimes taking control of each case.  Both these major storylines go in some very interesting directions, with Vimes desperately trying to work out how the poisonings happened, while Carrot and Angua begin investigating the city’s golems, one of whom seems responsible for the murders.  At the same time, Pratchett also provides some fantastic character-based storylines around several of the supporting Watch characters. This includes the unusual proclivities of the Watch’s new dwarf officer Corporal Cheery Littlebottom, Corporal Nobby Nobbs’s unbelievable reveal as a potential noble, one golem’s journey towards self-determination, and Angua’s continued feelings of alienation at being a werewolf.

All these storylines cross over perfectly in the final third of Feet of Clay, as the protagonists finally put together the subtle clues for the main two cases.  While the reveal about who or what is behind the murders is fantastic in its own way, I must highlight the extremely well-hidden poisoning method that Pratchett devised for this plot, which is just so damn devious and cleverly set-up by the author.  This leads to an excellent, action-focused collection of sequences that eventually pull together into an intense confrontation.

Pratchett wraps this up perfectly, with some amazing final reveals about who was ultimately pulling all the strings.  While the mastermind of the conspiracy isn’t too surprising (especially if you listen to one of the audiobook versions), the way that Vimes works out their identity is so much fun thanks to some ironically hidden clues, and I love the big reveal scene between Vimes and the main antagonist.  Pratchett also wraps up the remaining storylines perfectly, providing some great final touches to each of the characters’ respective arcs, and ensuring that the readers come away extremely satisfied.  I honestly cannot emphasise enough just how addictive and clever this narrative was, and every single aspect of this plot was perfectly set up and utilised by Pratchett as he wove his fantasy, crime fiction magic.

I’ve always felt that Feet of Clay was one of Pratchett’s best-written novels, as he manages to expertly balance a range of competing storylines inside this highly entertaining, hybrid novel.  As with all his City Watch books, the way that Pratchett manages to blend fantasy and crime fiction elements with his usual brilliant humour is just incredible, and I love how well this mixture of elements works to tell an effective narrative.  I must particularly commend the great mystery in Feet of Clay, which is just so damn intricate with all its clues and mixture of compelling character storylines.  Feet of Clay easily has some of Pratchett’s best mystery writing in its plot, and there is an outstanding amount of complexity built into both cases, with the truly elaborate poisoning arc being a particular highlight.  The sheer amount of cleverly crafted and often humorous clues that the author scatters throughout the book is so damn awesome, and it is so much fun to pull them all together.

The book’s outstanding crime fiction elements are perfectly enhanced by the background fantasy elements of the setting, with the protagonists forced to investigate the crimes in the context of a chaotic city populated with different species.  Compared to previous books, the investigation in Feet of Clay is much more like a modern police procedural, with classic forensic concepts enhanced with fantasy elements like scent tracking done by a werewolf and crime scene photos drawn by imps.  The protagonists also need to deal with various fantasy creatures, such as golems, vampires, dwarfs and a very angry gnome, and understanding their motivations becomes a key part of the plot.  Pratchett also uses these fantasy elements to address and lightly satirise contemporary social trends.  For example, one dwarf’s attempt to find herself leads to a complex, nuanced and thought-provoking discussion on gender identity, which can still be readily applied to modern discourses on transgendered rights and modern gender norms.  Another storyline focusing on golems gaining free will is also highly relevant, especially when you consider artificial intelligence.  Throw in the general chaos and disorder of the city, which results in additional fun conflicts and incidents (Vimes’s one-sided battle against the Assassins Guild is particularly amusing), as well as a focus on the changes that have occurred to Ankh-Morpork thanks to the actions of the Patrician and the Watch, and you really have to appreciate just how fell the inherent fantasy elements of Feet of Clay enhances the plot.

While both the mystery and fantasy elements of Feet of Clay are very compelling, what really turns this into a five-star read is the clever humour that Pratchett adds to his books.  There are various layers to the humour in this novel, although much of it lies in classic fantasy or murder mystery scenarios going in particularly absurd directions, or being artfully dissected by self-aware protagonists who find the situation and its real-world historical precedent very absurd.  There are also the brilliant footnotes that seek to enhance the story and showcase just how ridiculous the Discworld is by providing additional details about the universe and the people within it.  Finally, you have humour driven by the outrageous characters scattered throughout the plot, with ultra-sarcastic figures rubbing shoulders with entertaining parodies of terrible people.  The more direct humour drawn from the storylines of several of these characters, such as Corporal Nobbs’s foray into the upper class, and Sergeant Colon unfortunate agricultural experiences, blends well with the rest of the complex novel, and ensures that there are entertaining moments, no matter where in Feet in Clay you are.

This great combination of humour, fantasy elements and a crime fiction narrative helps to make Feet of Clay one of the more appealing novels in all the Discworld series, and so many different readers will end up getting a lot out of it.  As such, Feet of Clay works incredibly well as a standalone novel, with new readers easily able to enjoy this book without any prior knowledge of the Discworld or previous City Watch books, especially as Pratchett covers any relevant history or characters quite effectively.  However, I do feel that to get the best experience with Feet of Clay, readers would benefit from checking out Guards! Guards! and Men at Arms first.  The continuing storylines, history of the city and character arcs all come into play extremely well in Feet of Clay and you get a much more complete experience viewing all City Watch novels in order.

As with all of Pratchett’s novels, one of the real joys of Feet of Clay is the complex and comedic characters the author weaved such incredible, entertaining, and often extremely heartwarming tales around.  Featuring a great combination of the well-established cast of the previous City Watch books, as well as a couple of awesome new figures, Pratchett did an exceptional job diving into the cast of his novel and the resulting depth to their characters was so damn impressive.

At the centre of Feet of Clay lies main character Commander Samuel Vimes, the recently ennobled and married commander of the City Watch.  Transformed from a drunken and hated figure to the leader of a respected police organisation, Vimes has been forced to up his game, especially as he now finds himself being targeted by the elites of the city which he does with some comedic vigour.  Feet of Clay is probably the book where Pratchett twists the focus of the City Watch fully towards Vimes.  The definite centre of the plot, Pratchett really dives into Vimes’s obsessive nature, his simmering anger at the upper classes, and his determination to bring justice to everyone equally.  Vimes dogged, yet cynical, approach to investigation and crime solving comes face to face with a particularly dastardly plot in Feet of Clay, and there are some wonderful sequences as he tries to puzzle out the poisoning.  Pratchett also provides some extra detail about Vimes’ poor upbringing and the history of his family, which really showcases his motivations to a great degree.  All this allows for a much more complicated figure then we saw in previous books, and it was an interesting change of pace for this central character that Pratchett would expand on in later books.

In addition to Vimes, there are some interesting focuses on Captain Carrot and Constable Angua, who led the investigation into the murders in the city, and Pratchett wraps some compelling elements around them.  Carrot remains the charismatic and skilled leader of men for much of the story, with a continued focus on his love for the city and ability to charm anyone he encounters.  However, Pratchett does attempt to break his seemingly perfect facade in this novel by having him struggle to come to terms with Cheery Littlebottom’s identity issues.  The author also continues to shift away from Carrot as a perspective character, instead allowing his many appearances to be mainly told from the view of other, more cynical members of the cast.  This gives his actions and motivations a little more mystery and allows the reader to wonder just how perfect he really is.  For Feet of Clay, most of this narration was done by Angua, the Watch’s werewolf officer and Carrot’s love interest.  Angua proves to be a very practical and sarcastic personality foil to the upbeat Carrot, which helps to humanise both to a degree.  Pratchett also adds in a compelling underlying storyline of Angua struggling with how others perceive her as a werewolf, and her certainty that her relationship with Carrot can’t last.

While Carrot and Angua represent the more serious side of the Watch, Pratchett continues to have fun by focusing on the always amusing and comedic duo of Sergeant Fred Colon and Corporal Nobby Nobbs.  Their narrative in Feet of Clay is particularly good, especially for Nobby, who finds himself elevated to nobility status when it is discovered he is the long-lost descendant of the Earl of Ankh.  Suddenly forced to hobnob with other nobs, Nobby has some fantastic reactions and interactions, especially going from despair at being a penniless noble, to trying to fit in with the city’s elite.  While this seems like a mostly comedic storyline to undercut the tension of Feet of Clay’s serious crimes it fits into the main narrative in some clever ways, although Nobby’s reaction when he finds this out is so damn funny and perfectly reflects his own mentality and his knowledge of Vimes’ reactions.

Sergeant Colon, on the other hand, is somewhat less used in Feet of Clay, although Pratchett has fun satirising the ‘policeman three days away from retirement’ trope through him.  Keen to get out of the Watch because his wife wants him to buy a farm (another subtle and fun joke from Pratchett), Colon inevitably runs into insane trouble in the second half of the book, and it was fun to see the craziness of the other storylines literally stampede over him.  I have loved these two characters since their first appearance in Guards! Guards! and this is one of their funniest books (although their next appearance in Jingo is also peak comedy).

While these recurring characters are awesome, special mention needs to go to the new members of the Watch that Pratchett introduces in Feet of Clay, who have major impacts on the plot.  The most significant of this is the new dwarf forensic officer, Corporal Cheery Littlebottom (a very traditional dwarf name).  Cheery serves as a compelling outsider figure, with Pratchett moving her across both investigations.  However, it’s her characterisation as a female dwarf who wants to acknowledge her gender rather than act like a male dwarf, as is tradition, that really sets Cheery up as a standout character.  Naturally working in aspects of identity and overcoming established mindsets are a big part of Cheery’s character, and it was wonderful to see her gain confidence and skill as a Watch officer.  Pratchett did such an excellent job of handling these complex cultural elements through Cheery, and it’s amazing how significant Cheery’s actions are in the larger Discworld narrative, as well as how relevant they are today.

Other characters I need to mention as I finally wrap up this section include the mysterious golem Dorfl.  A voiceless and dutiful figure that is part of the city’s exploited golem underclass, Dorfl has a compelling connection to the murders in Feet of Clay and serves as an unlikely witness and suspect.  Pratchett writes a particularly compelling motivation around Dorfl’s actions in this novel, which cleverly ties into discussion about self-determination and artificial intelligence.  I also had a lot of fun with Dorfl’s later scenes, especially as he becomes the city’s most unexpected and dramatic revolutionary.  Other highlights for me include Lord Vetinari, who takes his role as a poison victim with his usual special interest.  Throw in an ancient vampire with a love of terrible puns, an extremely angry gnome, and other compelling characters dragged into the narrative’s web, and the cast of Feet of Clay was one of Pratchett’s strongest, especially with all the emotional impact they add to the plot.

As with all the other Discworld novels I have reviewed, I have enjoyed Feet of Clay on various formats over the years, but my favourite is once again its audiobook version.  The various audiobook releases are always the absolute best ways to enjoy a Discworld novel, and the fantastic humour, compelling characters and entertaining locations that Pratchett comes up with, always come across in impressive fashion when read out.  This is especially true for Feet of Clay, which, like many of the series, has had several different audiobook versions over the years.  This includes the classic version released back in 1997, featuring narration by one of my favourite audiobook narrators, the legendary Nigel Planer.  I have raved about Planer in several previous reviews, including for Guards! Guards! and Men at Arms, and few narrators can capture Pratchett’s style and comedic charm with their voices like Planer did.  His work narrating Feet of Clay was particularly impressive, especially with his portrayal of all the cool characters, including an over-the-top vampire, the new dwarf member of the watch, and more.  The Planer narration of this novel is probably the definitive Feet of Clay audiobook, and I have been in love with this version since I was a child.

I also need to highlight the new audiobook released a couple of years ago.  Featuring the very impressive cast of Jon Culshaw, Peter Serafinowicz and Bill Nighy, this more recent Feet of Clay release was also very exceptional, building off the great work these three narrators did with their Guards! Guards! and Men at Arms audiobooks.  Coming in with a runtime of 12 hours and 20 minutes, this Feet of Clay audiobook is a bit longer than the Planer release (which had a runtime of 9 hours and 38 minutes), although listeners are still in for an exceptional time.  Much of this is down to British radio and television personality Jon Culshaw, who once again made this audiobook his own with his take on the story and his characters.  His gritty and entertaining voices for the cast are very fitting, and like Planer, he excels at showcasing their complicated personalities, as well as the overall humour of the book.  I am once again very impressed with just how excellent Culshaw was for the City Watch books, and he is my favourite narrator from these new Discworld audiobooks.

As with all books in this new collection of Discworld audiobook’s, Culshaw’s main narration was perfectly backed up by recuring voices of Bill Nighy and Peter Serafinowicz.  These performances were once again perfect, and I especially loved Nighy’s excellent work with the vital, comedic footnotes. Serafinowicz’s role in Feet of Clay is also very fun, as he brings the fan-favourite character of Death to life.  While Death only has a few scenes in Feet of Clay, Serafinowicz makes the most of his appearances, and hearing the actor’s deep Death voice suddenly appear amongst the general narration really increases the impact of the character.  Both Bill Nighy and Peter Serafinowicz’s inclusions were extremely fun, and I felt that they were combined with Culshaw’s main narration in a very impressive way.  These three brilliant British talents ensured that the new version of Feet of Clay was particularly impressive and while my heart will always belong to the original audiobook with Nigel Planer, this new multi-cast audiobook will likely inspire a new generation of Discworld fans.

With an incredible and winning combination of charm, mystery and comedic brilliance, Feet of Clay was another exceptional and classic read in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld.  Providing an ultra-addictive story that also perfectly adds in some great new characters, Feet of Clay is one of the very best Discworld books, and one of my personal favourites.  An exceptional read I will recommend until the day I die!

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