Category: Five-Star Books

Saevus Corax Captures the Castle by K. J. Parker

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Comedy/Satire, Fantasy, Five-Star Books7 Comments

Saevus Corax Captures the Castle Cover

Publisher: Orbit (Trade Paperback – 21 November 2023)

Series: Corax – Book Two

Length: 321 pages

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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One of the funniest fantasy authors in the game presents a fantastic second entry in his closely released Corax trilogy with the hilarious and brutally brilliant Saevus Corax Captures the Castle.

In 2023, fantasy author K. J. Parker (a pseudonym of author Tom Holt), had an incredible blast of creativity as he managed to release an entire trilogy within the space of a month with the outstanding Corax series.  Set to follow an infamous battlefield salvager, the titular Saevus Corax, as he finds himself getting dragged into all manner of unusual scenarios, this series sounded so damn fun.  I was particularly intrigued, especially as these books were set in the same universe as his epic The Siege series, which featured Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City (one of my favourite books of 2019), How to Rule an Empire and Get Away with It (one of my favourite books of 2020) and A Practical Guide to Conquering the World (one of my favourite books of 2022).

While I managed to get all three of Parker’s Corax books last year, I only had the chance to read the first novel, Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead before 2023 ended.  This first entry in the trilogy was pretty damn incredible, and I loved the wonderful and highly entertaining story it contained, especially as it was masterfully layered with Parker’s trademark humour.  Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead got an easy five-star rating from me, and it ended up being one of my favourite books of 2023.  As such, I really want to get through the other two Corax books as soon as possible so I quickly powered through the second one, Saevus Corax Captures the Castle, last weekend.  Saeuvs Corax Captures the Castle was another outstanding read that I had such I wonderful time with.

Several years after his last outrageous adventure when he was crowned a king against his will, Saevus Corax is back to what he knows best, battlefield salvage.  While it is not the most glamorous work, it provides a living for his large crew of outcasts and rogues, as they tour their world’s many scattered battlefields, rescuing and repurposing everything they can recover from the dead.  However, a nemesis with a personal grudge will send Corax on a dangerous path he might have no escape from.

When several of his men are kidnapped, Corax’s only apparent chance to save them is to capture a delipidated castle in the middle of nowhere.  Utilising his unconventional tactics and knowledge of warfare, Corax begins his impromptu siege, only to discover that his old flame, the beautiful con artist Stauracia, is in charge of the castle’s defence, and she has no intention of losing to Corax again.

But why is Corax’s new unwelcomed employer so determined to capture the castle, and what are they hoping to achieve by using Corax’s motley crew?  The truth has the potential to plunge the whole world into war if Corax can’t keep it under wraps.  However, Corax soon finds himself distracted by revelations from his past, as he finds hope being dangled before his eyes.  Can Corax survive this latest misadventure and the dastardly rivals it brings, or has he finally met his match?

The second Corax book proved to be just as funny, addictive, and inventive as the first awesome entry, and I had such an outstanding time with Saevus Corax Captures the Castle.  Placing his wonderfully witty and world-weary protagonist on the course for more unusual conflict, Saevus Corax Captures the Castle had me fully hooked from the very first word and I just had to give it another full five-star rating.

Parker came up with a pretty clever and memorable narrative for Saevus Corax Capture the Castle, which proved to be a lot of fun to read.  Starting with another entertaining look at one of the group’s salvage jobs, the book soon places Corax’s entire group in a bad situation when members of the salvage band are kidnapped, and the only way to get them back is by capturing a castle.  So begins a battle of wits as Corax pits his innate knowledge of war and human nature against the manipulation of his old foe Stauracia, as they both try and work out why they have been charged with looking after an isolated castle.  This impromptu siege between two groups of people who do not actually want to be there proves to be quite entertaining, and it serves as a fun focus for the first half of the book.  This first half also features several flashbacks into Corax’s past, especially the events that have occurred since Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead, which provides some interesting motivations and looks at the connections between Corax and the book’s main antagonist.

Thanks to some deeply personal manipulations, there is an interesting and dramatic plot change in the second half of Saevus Corax Captures the Castle, as Corax finds himself motivated to journey alone to a forbidden nation.  This change from a siege to an independent journey actually works really well in the context of the story, and it builds on a lot of cleverly hidden elements and clues from the earlier plot.  You are really on the edge of your seat during this second part of the book, especially as Corax is in the direst of scenarios, and I loved seeing him use his understanding of people to get out of trouble.  The ending of this misguided quest proves to be very clever and a little heartbreaking, as Corax finds what he is looking for, but it’s not what he wants.  It does allow him a few bits of knowledge that let him destroy his opponents back home and get the payday, although nothing is every that simple for Corax.  I liked the intriguing tone that Parker left this second book on, especially as like the first book, the protagonist soon realises that he’s happiest when back doing what he does best.

Saevus Corax Captures the Castle features the exact same writing style as the first book in the series, which you tend to notice when you read these books in quick succession.  I personally liked this continuation of style, especially as it is what made me a fan of Parker in the first place, and it results in quite an entertaining story.  Told in a chronicle format from the perspective of main character Saevus Corax, the book is his account of events, filled with his commentary, observations and memories, to tell an intriguing tale.  Corax proves to be a very fun narrator, and his ultra-cynical take on the world has an entertaining influence on the story which is hard not to enjoy.  The resulting mixture of betrayals, manipulations and unconventional warfare really comes together into quite a comprehensive and fun story thanks to this great narration, and I was chuckling the entire way through.

The series continues to utilise the unique world that Parker came up with for both the Corax books and The Siege novels, and the fun references to some of the prior events are quite amusing.  As I mentioned in my review for Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead, this series is in some ways more of an alternate history novel rather than a fantasy book, as it does not feature any magic or unnatural elements.  Instead, we get a world of war, politics, and domineering nations, which acts as a satirical mirror of our own history.  I would still prefer some form of map up front to keep track of where the characters are going and where some of the nations being discussed are in relation to each other, but you can get by without one.  While there are a few mentions of the previous novel in the series, Saevus Corax Captures the Castle is for the most part a standalone novel, and anyone interested in a particularly fun tale can dive in here no problem.  However, I would personally suggest going from the start of the trilogy, if for no other reason than some of the jokes in this sequel are a little funnier after Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead, and you get the full understanding of the unique relationship between Corax and Stauracia.  It also solves one of the main mysteries from the first book, and it would not surprise me if a couple of story elements from this novel are featured in the third and final novel in the series.

As you would expect from a first-person perspective novel like this, most of the focus is on the titular Saevus Corax, whose unique adventures we are following.  Corax is a very typical Parker protagonist, in that he is an intelligent and cynical being who would rather live a simple life doing what he does best, but instead finds himself thrust into complex and dangerous events.  This proves to be a fun character dynamic, and I loved seeing the often-exasperated Corax forced to deal with people trying to outsmart and manipulate him while he is just trying to do the right thing.  Luckily his strong ability to understand how people think and then use that to outplay them often keeps him out of trouble, and it is quite entertaining to see him casually stop a clever enemy plan, just because they are doing exactly what he would.  His distrustful, intense, and often very honest outlook on life really impacts how the reader sees the world he lives in, and you really grow to appreciate his take on events, especially as he knows everyone is out to get him.  However, readers do get to see another side of Corax in this second book, especially as you get to see how his one previous attempt at romance worked out, and the impacts its tragic ending has on him cause him to act out in some big ways.  As such, this is a very intriguing book for this great character, and I had a wonderful time seeing him develop even further.

Aside from Corax, the cast of Saevus Corax Captures the Castle is pretty fun, as Parker comes up with an interesting group of self-centred, occasionally loyal, but mostly treacherous figures to partner up with our favourite rogue.  The most prominent of these is Stauracia, who was both a secondary antagonist of the first novel and the protagonist’s love interest.  Stauracia is a con-artist who has run afoul of Corax and his group before, and who finds herself forced to work both with and against them in this novel.  Smart, manipulative, and utterly lovely, Stauracia is the perfect foil for the more subdued Corax, and they have some amazing chemistry in this book.  I loved the unique relationship that bloomed between them that is often driven more by dislike or mistrust than anything else, but both of them come away a bit better from knowing the other.  Other major characters include the group of unlikely companions that make up Corax’s battlefield scavengers.  Their constant bickering makes for a fun background to many scenes, and I like how they are usually annoyed with Corax’s antics, although they keep following because no-one else could do the job better.  Throw in a great villain, whose prior connections to Corax result in some brutal plots against him, and the cast of Saevus Corax Capture the Castle are extremely entertaining, and I loved seeing the unique narrative that formed around them.

Overall, Saevus Corax Captures the Castle was a highly fun and utterly amazing novel from K. J. Parker that I cannot recommend enough.  Featuring all the humour, entertaining cynicism and clever characters that made the first Corax book so incredible, Saevus Corax Captures the Castle serves as an outstanding sequel that continues the series in an awesome way.  An outstanding and epic read, this was such a great book and I cannot wait to read the final Corax novel as soon as I can.

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Throwback Thursday – Cold Days by Jim Butcher

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Fantasy, Five-Star Books, Throwback Thursday3 Comments

Cold Days Cover

Publisher: Penguin Audio (Audiobook – 27 November 2012)

Series: Dresden Files – Book 14

Length: 18 hours and 47 minutes

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Welcome back to my Throwback Thursday series, where I republish old reviews, review books I have read before or review older books I have only just had a chance to read.  For this week’s Throwback Thursday, I check out yet another exceptional entry in Jim Butcher’s outstanding Dresden Files urban fantasy series with Cold Days.

Readers of this blog will know that I have been having an incredible time getting through the epic Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher.  An iconic urban fantasy series, the Dresden Files follows maverick wizard Harry Dresden as he defends the city of Chicago from all manner of supernatural threats.  This series is so impressive, and I have been steadily making my way through out it since 2020.  My previous burst of reading saw me get through four of these amazing books in a row, including Small Favor, Turn Coat, Changes and Ghost Story, and while that momentarily sated my interest in this series, I am still very keen to continue, and I’m hoping to finish it off this year.  I’m already off to a good start as I just knocked off the 14th book in the series, Cold Days, which proved to be another gripping and clever read.

Despite his best efforts, professional wizard Harry Dresden is once again alive, and his troubles are only just beginning.  Forced into a Faustian deal to gain the power he needed to save his daughter, Dresden, now finds himself indebted to Mab, Queen of Air and Darkness and ruler of the Winter Court of the Faerie.  While he’d hoped his murder would get him out of this dark responsibility, Mab had other plans and now Dresden finds himself dragged back to life as the Winter Knight, Mab’s personal champion and hitman.

Determined not to fall under the alluring sway of his new position and power, Dresden finds himself once again thrust into the middle of a conflict outside of his abilities when Mab sets him on his first mission, killing her own immortal daughter.  Grappling with such an impossible task, Dresden returns to his beloved Chicago, only to find even more trouble awaiting him there.  Demonreach, the mystical island in the middle of Lake Michigan that Dresden bound himself to, is under magical siege, and it if falls, billions will die.

With only 24 hours to complete both his allotted assassination and save Demonreach, Dresden soon finds himself under attack from all manner of foes, including manipulative faeries, dangerous beings originating from outside of reality, and former friends with new agendas.  To survive, Dresden will need to reconnect with his old allies and work with them to prevent a dark cataclysm.  But faced with impossible choices and hidden enemies, Dresden soon finds himself unsure who to trust.  Worse, his new powers are working to change him into something primal and dark.  Can Harry defeat both his foes and his own inner darkness before it is too late?

I doubt anyone is going to be surprised to find out that I loved Cold Days.  Butcher did a wonderful job continuing his exceptional series, especially as he presents the reader with a complex and intriguing new adventure, loaded with mystery, sacrifice and surprises.  A gripping read from start to finish, Cold Days gets another easy five-star rating from me, and I had an amazing time getting through it.

At this point in the series, Butcher had been on a real roll, and the last two books, Changes and Ghost Story, had exceptional stories that dramatically shifted the status quo for the protagonist.  This trend continued in Cold Days as Butcher simultaneously reintroduced Dresden back to the world after his death, showed his first adventure as the Winter Knight, and provided some massive detail about the major antagonist that his been hinted about since the start of the series.  I honestly was hooked on Cold Days the second I started it, especially as it begins with a particularly entertaining training montage, before dumping the protagonist right into the midst of complex Winter Court politics.  From there, Dresden is given an impossible task, and his attempts to understand his new mission reveal additional obstacles, including the danger posed by Demonreach.  This swiftly morphs into a classic Dresden Files novel, with the protagonist attempting to solve several concurrent mysteries, while entertaining antagonists try to take him off the board.  A lot of the story involves the always fascinating and manipulative Faeries, and I liked how well Butcher expanded the lore surrounding them.  Naturally, this means that the protagonist must deal with politics, intrigue, and so many betrayals, as he finds himself in the middle of their deadly games.

Once Dresden fully understands the stakes of his new mission, he is forced to make some big decisions, especially as the true antagonists of this book are obscured and hidden.  Everything leads up to a massive and extended final confrontation, which was pretty damn awesome to see, especially as Dresden leads some interesting forces to war and finds himself going up against some big players.  There are some brilliant and well-setup twists at the end of Cold Days that really highlight just how manipulative a certain character is, as well as how good Butcher is at planning ahead with his writing, and the status-quo of the series changes once again.  This entire story was so damn entertaining, clever and moving, and I just flew through it.

As always, I love the excellent first-person style that Butcher utilises to tell his Dresden Files stories, and Cold Days came across in a fun and entertaining way.  Told exclusively from the perspective of protagonist Harry Dresden, you are given a front row seat to the chaotic events of the book as they occur, and I always love the fantastic blend of mystery, action, humour and character moments that result from this.  Cold Days was a particularly good example of this, and it featured an amazing pace, loaded with major set pieces and powerful interactions between the protagonist and other characters.  The action scenes were particularly fun, and I loved how well Butcher was able to enhance the battles with the continuously expanding lore surrounding his excellent series.  Everything about this book was a lot of fun, and this ended up being an impressive entry in the wilder Dresden Files series.

One of the things I particularly enjoyed about Cold Days was the intriguing and impressive ways that Butcher provides some massive expansions to his universe.  Cold Days features some major revelations which completely shift the entire perspective of the Dresden Files, especially as you get some reveals about who the true antagonists of previous books were.  The protagonist’s place in this universe is greatly enhanced, as not only does he get some major power boosts but the true responsibilities of certain posts he took on are revealed.  As such, the stakes of Cold Days and the future books in the series are now higher than ever, which I personally enjoyed.  These changes were an outstanding natural progression of story elements from the previous 13 novels, and it was great to get some payoffs to some of the clever hints Butcher has been lacing into the series since book one.  Because of this, I would strongly recommend that readers go back and read the series from the start rather than beginning with Cold Days, as you will get so much more out of it.  At the very least, I think you need to read the previous two novels, Changes and Ghost Story first, as some of the major story elements and character arcs from there are concluded or continued here.  However, if you decide to start reading the series here at Cold Days, you should still be able to follow along, especially as Butcher always ensures that key elements and characters are always succinctly and effectively reintroduced.

I must really highlight the excellent character work featured in Cold Days, as Butcher does an outstanding job featuring a huge cast of fascinating figures, each of whom plays an important role in the complex plot.  Naturally most of this focus revolves around the point of view protagonist, Harry Dresden, who has been going through a real emotional and personal roller coaster in the last few books.  Not only did he recently find out he had a daughter who was hidden from him, but he was forced to accept a deal with Mab to save her, which he then tried to get out of by dying.  Fully resurrected by the start of Cold Days, Dresden is forced to deal with the consequences of his choices.  It was interesting to see the usually moral and independent Dresden under the control of a historically malevolent figure like Mab, and his attempts to understand her motivations and his place in this new regime are a huge part of the plot.  At the same time, his new powers are slowly changing him, and he is constantly forced to fight back against various primal urges.  This results in some very interesting personal moments, especially as Dresden is finally properly reunited with his friends and family.  I loved how emotional and powerful parts of this book get, especially as Dresden comes to terms with some of the darker moments and thoughts that have plagued him over the last few adventures.  As such, this is an important entry in Dresden’s personal story, and I look forward to seeing what other develops occur in the future.  Of course, while this book does get emotional and moving at times, Dresden was still mostly the same funny and disrespectful figure he always was, and much of Cold Days’ humour was derived from him making fun of and picking fights with people way outside his weight class.  I have so much love for most of Dresden’s character traits, even when being turned slowly evil, and Cold Days is so much more entertaining with him as the narrator.

In addition to Dresden, Cold Days featured a great batch of returning figures, each of whose storylines are also expanded on once Dresden returns.  I loved some of the interactions that occurred in Cold Days, especially as we once again got to see the fun sibling relationship Dresden has with his brother, Thomas, and there was finally some movement on the long-simmering romance between Dresden and Karin Murphy.  It was great to also see more of recurring characters Butters, Bob the skull and Dresden’s dog, Mouse, who are all quite entertaining in their own way.  However, I think the most interesting character development occurred around Dresden’s apprentice, Molly Carpenter.  Like Dresden, Molly has gone through a ton of trauma in the last few books, and it was great to see her mostly on her feet in this novel.  Of course, as Butcher is a cruel author, we had to know it wouldn’t last, and some very significant changes occur to Molly in the big conclusion.  Butcher did a great job setting the scene for these changes, and it will be interesting to see how much her personality changes in the next few books.  I still don’t love the constant hints about a potential romance between Dresden and Molly that were featured here; if they ever get together in a future book, it will be gross.

Aside from these familiar figures, Butcher also loads Cold Days up with nearly every Faerie character and figure he had, including several sinister new antagonists.  The Dresden Files books featuring the Faerie Courts and characters can often be quite entertaining and I think Butcher did a really good job of showcasing the intricate figures who make up these courts in Cold Days. Mab was a fantastic, dark and sinister figure for much of the book as Dresden’s new master, and I enjoyed how she cast a big shadow over much of the plot.  While mostly shown to be villainous, Butcher did attempt to humanise her in places, and it was great to finally get some more depth around her.  The rest of Faeries all had their own unique purpose in the story, and you are never quite certain whose side they are on, especially when more revelations come through as part of this book.  All the characters in Cold Days were very impressive and well-written, and I really appreciated how their complex character arcs helped to enhance an already powerful story.

As usual, I ended up enjoying Cold Days on audiobook, which is honestly just the best way to enjoy a Dresden Files novel.  Coming in with a run time of just under 19 hours, Cold Days was one of the longest Dresden Files audiobooks, but I still managed to power through it in one fantastic week.  Butcher’s outstanding storytelling is always deeply enhanced by this format, and you really get the full experience of the action, unique fantasy elements and cool characters through it.  Of course, the epic voice work from long-running narrator James Marsters is a huge factor in this.  Marsters always moves the story along perfectly, and it is hard not to get caught up in the plot when he dives into the cool features and narrative.  I still really love all the unique and enthusiastic voices he brings to the table, and all the characters, be they new or established, came across perfectly here.  I always deeply appreciate how well Marsters can dive into protagonist and point of view character Harry Dresden, and his narration once again pulled out all this character’s pain, inner turmoil, and relentless cheek.  Marsters also has a lot of fun with the various monsters, faeries and other ethereal figures featured throughout Cold Days, and he always ensures these mysterious creatures come across as something inhuman or terrifying.  This great voicework really turns the Cold Days audiobook into something deeply addictive and fun, and I really cannot recommend this format enough.

Look, there was no way I wasn’t going to enjoy Cold Days, as frankly the entirety of the Dresden Files series has been pretty damn impressive.  However, I felt that Jim Butcher did a really good job with this 14th book, as Cold Days features a compelling and emotionally charged narrative that expertly continues some of the most impressive storylines from the last few entries.  Loaded with action, compelling lore expansion, and Butcher’s distinctive humour, Cold Days was an exceptional book that I cannot recommend enough.  I love this series so much and I cannot wait to finish it off this year.

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

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Extended Universe, Five-Star Books, Science Fiction, Tie-in Novel, Warhammer7 Comments

Warhammer 40,000 - The Fall of Cadia Cover

Publisher: Black Library (Audiobook – 5 August 2023)

Series: Warhammer 40,000

Length: 19 hours and 42 minutes

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Cadia Stands!  I ended 2023 on a very high note with one of the best Warhammer 40,000 novels of the year that follows one of the biggest events in the franchise’s recent lore, The Fall of Cadia by Robert Rath.

There were several amazing Warhammer 40,000 novels released in 2023, with some of my favourites including The Lion: Son of the Forest and Warboss by Mike Brooks, The King of the Spoil by Jonathan D. Beer and Cypher: Lord of the Fallen by John French, just to name a few.  However, in terms of sheer scale, epic battles, and larger-than-life characters, my favourite will have to be The Fall of Cadia.  As the name suggests, The Fall of Cadia follows the final battle for the planet of Cadia at the end of the 13th Black Crusade, which was a major campaign in the Warhammer 40,000 tabletop game.  The original 13th Black Crusade campaign happened back in 2003, with the official result being something of a draw.  However, in 2017, Games Workshop retconned the campaign to result in a much more substantial Chaos victory, which ended up having substantial impacts on the wider lore of the franchise, effectively reshaping the entire Warhammer 40,000 universe.

This change ended up being a pretty significant event, and Games Workshop provided some major write-ups about it that summarised the events and their explosive aftermath.  Indeed, the lore events initiated in this event have already been featured in several novels, and most of the current Warhammer 40,000 fiction examines the consequences of this campaign.  However, there has yet to be a novel solely dedicated to trying to capture the entirety of the action at the end, until now with The Fall of Cadia by Robert Rath.  Rath was a great choice of author to write this book as he is a truly amazing author of Warhammer 40,000 fiction.  His previous novels, Assassinorum: Kingmaker (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022) and The Infinite and the Divine, have both been exceptional five-star reads, telling elaborate, character-driven stories that cleverly capture complex aspects of Warhammer 40,000 lore and turn them into impressive and addictive reads.  As such, he was the perfect choice to write The Fall of Cadia and he succeeded in creating a deeply moving and epic novel that perfectly brought the chaotic events that ended this infamous war to life.

In the far future of the 41st Millenium, few battlefields are more significant or more soaked in blood than that of Cadia.  A fortress world for the Imperium of Man, Cadia stands in the shadow of the Eye of Terror, a blazing rift that serves as a gateway into the Warp and the realm of the Chaos gods.  For any substantial invasion by the forces of Chaos into the Imperium to be successful, Cadia needs to be taken and destroyed, and for that task the Chaos Gods have chosen the Warmaster of the Black Legion, Abaddon the Despoiler.  Abaddon is a legendary warrior of hatred and spite who alone is capable of welding together the unruly and contentious forces of Chaos.  Over the millennia, Abaddon has launched 12 Black Crusades against Cadia, leading an unholy alliance of monsters, daemons, cultists and traitor Space Marines to battle.  However, each time Cadia has held, at great cost to the desperate Imperial defenders.  But now, as the forces of Chaos appear stronger than ever before, a 13th Black Crusade has been declared, one that looks set to destroy Cadia forever.

The Fall of Cadia starts well into the 13th Black Crusade, as, after weeks of heavy fighting, the forces of Cadia and humanity once again appear victorious, with the armies of Chaos retreating on all fronts.  However, despite the apparent victory over the heretics and the dark gods of Chaos, Lord Castellan Ursarkar Creed is uneasy, believing that the victory was too easy.  As the celebrations continue, Creed is soon proved right, as the Eye of Terror disgorges a new enemy force unmatched in size and deadly potential since the legendary Horus Heresy.

At its head flies a dread Blackstone Fortress, an alien superweapon capable of intense destruction and now crewed personally by Abaddon.  Faced with this threat, Creed attempts to bring together the various elements of humanities defenders, including legendary Space Marines, virtuous Sisters of Battle, the inhuman soldiers of the Adeptus Mechanicus, and the outmatched by steely rank-and-file troops of Cadia, determined to save their home.

As the final invasion of Cadia begins, Creed organises the defence the best he can to hold back the oncoming horde on land, in the sky, in space, and even far behind Cadian lines in their seemingly safe cities.  If Creed has any hope of succeeding, he will need to bring together the scattered armies of the Imperium on Cadia into a single cohesive force, but not all of the defenders are fighting for the same goals.  Even if these armies come together, can the legendary Creed hold off the fury of Abaddon and his dark gods?  Cadia’s last stand has begun, but who will be left alive at its end?

Robert Rath continues to showcase just how varied and impressive his talent for writing Warhammer 40,000 fiction is as he captures the incredible events of the last siege of Cadia.  The Fall of Cadia is epic in every way possible, as it presents the reader with a great coverage of these key lore events and the characters involved.  Elaborate, intense, and featuring so much damn carnage and war, The Fall of Cadia is an incredibly addictive read that got a very easy five-star rating from me.

I think it is important to point out that Robert Rath had a difficult task ahead of him when he was chosen to novelise the events surrounding the end of the 13th Black Crusade.  A lot of detailed lore has been written around this event, not only in the various guides, rulebooks and other material associated with the tabletop game but also in several years worth of novels and extended fiction that focused on the aftermath of the war.  Any novelisation about these events ran the risk of being a stale retelling of events that all Warhammer 40,000 fans already know about.  However, Rath rose to the challenge and presented a powerful, intense and memorable depiction of the events that really drags the readers in while showing just how incredible and epic a piece of Warhammer fiction can be.

To tell the events of The Fall of Cadia, Rath elected to cover everything in a massive, multilayered, character-driven narrative, told from every perspective imaginable.  Starting towards the final days of the battle, when Abaddon unleashes his true invasion of Cadia, the reader is soon engrossed a range of different storylines that cover many different angles of the battle.  Not only do we get to see the overall strategy of both sides but the reader is also thrust into personal wars and fights across the theatre.  So many amazing moments are covered, including a desperate last stand in the mountains, battles in the sky and space, Chaos infiltration in the cities, criminal enterprises, even internal dissension amongst the Chaos command.  These scenes are usually shown through the eyes of a complex characters, whose desperate fight for Cadia helps to define them and presents the reader with some impressive and captivating character arcs.  All these varied conflicts are expertly portrayed by Rath, who does a wonderful job capturing the intensity, brutality and lack of humanity involved in warfare, as his characters suffer on every battlefield imaginable.  The sheer epic and destructive nature of these conflicts really come across in Rath’s writing style, and I honestly visualised many of the scenes being described in cinematic detail in my head.

The first half of the book primarily focuses on these various scattered storylines, and it was a lot of fun to see the different theatres of war, especially as you start to get attached to the major characters.  All the battles featured are pretty awesome and intense in their own way, and I really have to emphasise just how skilled Rath is at bringing all the different elaborate bits of combat to life.  The complex story pieces start to come together in the second half, especially as each of the characters find themselves drawn to the same battlefields.  I really appreciated how the storylines tied together, and there are some brilliant moments featured here.  I also felt that the multiple deus ex machina moments towards the conclusion of a big battle sequence that Rath needed to include because they were part of the lore was handled about as well as they could be.  Rath did some good set-up for the most important of them earlier in the plot, and I liked how in many instances he tried to examine it from the perspective of the common soldier looking for miracles, so it often did not seem too ridiculous.

Everything leads up to the big final battle in the last third of the novel, and despite knowing how it was going to end, I still was extremely invested in the plot and eager to see how everything came about.  A lot of this was because I deeply enjoyed the compelling character arcs of the newer protagonists, but I was also very interested in seeing how Rath envisioned some of the more essential events.  The author really did not disappoint, as these epic and groundbreaking moments were expertly showcased to the reader in a powerful and captivating way.  The big deaths were pretty shocking and hurtful, especially if you did not know they were coming, and the major conflicts were so damn epic in their scope and impact.  The final devastating blows of the war really hit hard, especially as the climatic events featured some deeply personal moments alongside the mass devastation, which made everything that much more powerful.  I really loved how everything came together, and the poetic conclusion that highlighted the final fights of the surviving protagonists is going to stay with me for some time.  I am so damn impressed with how much passion and emotion that Rath was able to stick into this massive war story, and I honestly loved every single second spent reading The Fall of Cadia.

In addition to the amazing story, I really need to highlight the impressive array of characters featured throughout The Fall of Cadia.  Rath did a wonderful job of presenting the massive events of this book through a range of intriguing character perspectives on every side of the conflict, and there is a fantastic combination of new characters and established Warhammer 40,000 figures.  The author really tried to cover The Fall of Cadia’s narrative from every single angle he possibly could, and the resulting combination of generals, common soldiers, legendary warriors, ancient traitors and other interested onlookers, helped to make this Warhammer 40,000 story even more powerful and layered.  This includes several Chaos characters, whose tainted perspectives allow for a compelling view of both sides of the conflict.  The Fall of Cadia’s character arcs are mostly self-contained for the majority of the book, with their focus usually on that particular figure or theatre of the war.  However, there are some clever and moving interactions between the characters as the novel continues, and it is testament to Rath’s writing style and ability to create a massive web of overlaying character storylines that these interactions fit together so well into a cohesive and powerful narrative.  Rath really dove into the complex lives and personalities of every character he featured, even those that died quite quickly, and the resulting character arcs really added to the emotional impact of The Fall of Cadia.  You become heavily invested in these characters as a result, and waiting to see who survives the war is an important part of experiencing this novel.

So many big personalities were expertly featured throughout The Fall of Cadia and every reader is going to come away with their own favourites.  The better character arcs I personally loved included that of Major Marda Hellsker, who is forced to lead a desperate last stand for much of the book and grows into the leadership position thrust upon her.  Captain Hanna Keztral’s exploits in the sky also make for great reading, especially as she desperately tries to gain respect whilst flying an unarmed aircraft.  You also have to love the storylines surrounding Salvar Ghent, Cadia’s premier gangster, as he tries to exploit the war to his advantage before finding himself thrust into a much more prominent role.  I particularly loved how well Ghent interacted with some of the major figures in the book, and his entire storyline was one of the most entertaining.  The insatiable Necron collector Trazyn the Infinite was also a great inclusion in the plot, and Rath clearly had fun bringing back this hilarious character after featuring him so heavily in The Infinite and the Divine, and I got a good laugh at several of his pivotal scenes and petty moments.

However, the best characters in The Fall of Cadia had to be the opposing leaders of the war, Lord Castellan Ursarkar Creed and Abaddon the Despoiler.  Both are major figures in Warhammer 40,000 lore and Rath ensured that they were done justice in this novel.  Creed is shown to be a rough but brilliant commander, capable of inspiring an entire world while also suffering from the stresses of constantly being on the losing side.  I particularly enjoyed the subsequent inclusion of Colour Sergeant Jarran Kell alongside Creed as his long-suffering aide and best friend, and the two make for a very powerful character combination for many of the scenes shown from the defenders’ perspective.  Abaddon on the other hand is presented as the absolute beast that he is, and his obsessive desire to destroy Cadia is palpable.  I deeply appreciated that Rath showcased Abaddon as the ultimate villain in this universe, and his appearances were always exceedingly impactful.  Many of Abaddon’s appearances were cleverly shown through the eyes of his loyal servant, Dravura Morkath, whose rose-tinted opinions of her master barely covered the restrained evil within this figure.  I quite enjoyed Dravura as a character, especially as she has the most intriguing insights into the Chaos ranks, and the resolution of her storyline with Abaddon might be one of the most heartbreaking in the entire book.  These characters, and so much more, were such a brilliant part of The Fall of Cadia, and they helped turn what could have been a simple retelling of the lore into a particularly powerful and moving novel.

As with most Warhammer 40,000 novels, I feel that The Fall of Cadia is going to appeal to those fans of the franchise who already have a grip on the basics of the lore and main characters and can fully appreciate just how massive an event this book was.  Due to the material the book is based on, there were a lot of crazy events and characters featured here, some of which would be obscure even to casual fans of the game.  While Rath does an outstanding job of explaining and exploring the most important of these elements, some readers might occasionally be confused at what is going on or how certain characters came into being.  Still, I feel that most new readers can still have an exceptional time with this book, especially as the epic battles, impressive characters, and heartfelt military focused story, is so damn good.  The Fall of Cadia might even be a great gateway novel for those people trying to get into Warhammer 40,000 fiction, and it sure as hell encouraged me to read more Warhammer fiction.

One of the other things that I really appreciated about The Fall of Cadia was the way that Rath tried to paint a more nuanced picture of the planet of Cadia itself.  Cadia is usually portrayed as a bastion of military prowess and resistance without some of the issues other planets in the Imperium had, so it was quite interesting to see Rath’s different take on the subject, showing Cadia to be a planet with hidden issues and dissent.  In particular, Rath examines the problematic social structure of Cadia, where the active military are notably prioritized and those people who could not fight or be assigned other roles were considered a second-class citizen.  I loved how well Rath examined and focused on the issues surrounding this unique military class system, and it became a surprising key part of the book.  Indeed, the motivations of several characters are highly tied into these issues, with many seeking to prove themselves after being considered lesser for their contributions.  It also serves as an intriguing motivation for several antagonistic figures, and I loved just how well Rath was able to weave the structure of a planet into these intriguing character traits.  This, and more, really showcased Rath’s inventiveness and appreciation for the little details of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, and it is one of the reasons why I really enjoy his novels.

As with most Warhammer 40,000 novels, I chose to enjoy The Fall of Cadia on audiobook, which proved to be a very smart decision on my behalf as it was one of my favourite audiobooks of the year.  Coming in with a runtime of just under 20 hours, The Fall of Cadia is a bit longer than your typical Warhammer 40,000 audiobook, which reflects the massive story Rath came up with for this epic read.  I really loved how well this audiobook format brought the epic nature of this narrative to life and the many battles, wars, and unique characters felt even more impressive when read out.  I enjoyed the narration of Mark Elstob, who has previously lent his voice to other great Warhammer audiobooks, including Kal Jerico: Sinner’s Bounty by Josh Reynolds.  Elstob’s narration of The Fall of Cadia is extremely good, and I loved how passionately he presented every big event and piece of action.  I really enjoyed some of the great voices he came up with for the cast of The Fall of Cadia, and every larger-than-life character was gifted a fitting tone that perfectly captured their personalities and intensity.  His voices for the opposing leaders of the battle, Abaddon the Despoiler and Ursarkar Creed, are amazing examples of this, and you really get awesome impressions of both character’s opposing determination and charisma in some outstanding sequences.  I really cannot emphasise just how incredible this audiobook version of The Fall of Cadia is and it is definitely the best way to enjoy this world-shattering story.

Overall, The Fall of Cadia is a pretty exceptional piece of Warhammer 40,000 fiction that did such an impressive job of capturing this intriguing event from the game’s substantial lore.  Robert Rath is such an impressive author, and I am really glad he had the opportunity to cut loose and present this massive inclusion to the Warhammer 40,000 franchise.  The Fall of Cadia is easily one of my favourite books of 2023, and I loved how Rath told such an epic war tale in such a powerful and memorable way.  I honestly hope they make a movie based around this book in the future, because it would be so damn spectacular.  A highly recommended read that no Warhammer 40,000 fan should be without.

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Resurrection Walk by Michael Connelly

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Five-Star Books, Murder Mystery, Thriller9 Comments

Resurrection Walk Cover

Publisher: Allen & Unwin Australia (Trade Paperback – 31 October 2023)

Series: Mickey Haller/Lincoln Lawyer – Book Seven

Length: 407 pages

My Rating 5 out of 5 stars

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Acclaimed crime fiction author Michael Connelly returns with another outstanding and captivating read, Resurrection Walk, a clever and impressive legal thriller featuring two of Connelly’s best characters.

Gosh it has been a very good few years for fans of crime fiction author Michael Connelly.  Not only have we got two fantastic television adaptations currently going, but Connelly has been producing several great books across his multiple subseries.  Most of these books were part of his Ballard and Bosch series, with excellent novels like Dark Sacred Night, The Night Fire (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2019), The Dark Hours (one of my favourite books of 2021) and Desert Star (one of my favourite books of 2022), and he has also released a cool book from his fantastic Jack McEvoy series with Fair Warning (one of my favourite books of 2020).  Each of these novels has been excellent in its own way, but for the best Connelly fun nothing beats a Mickey Haller novel.

The Mickey Haller series, also known as the Lincoln Lawyer books, follow Mickey Haller, an infamous and effective defence attorney in L.A who got his nickname, “the Lincoln Lawyer” by working out of a Lincoln town car.  Known for intricate cases, elaborate court scenes and fantastic legal shenanigans, the Mickey Haller books are always a ton of fun and I love both the books and its current television adaption.  Connelly’s last Mickey Haller book came out in 2020 with The Law of Innocence, and I was very happy to find out that he was releasing a new one this year with Resurrection Walk.  Resurrection Walk was one of my most anticipated books of 2023, especially as it featured a great plot and fantastic team-up between Haller and Connelly’s best-known protagonist, Harry Bosch.

Following a successful case that freed an innocent man from prison, defence attorney Mickey Haller has gotten a taste for hopeless cases and is now working on helping those unfairly convicted of crimes they didn’t commit.  Hiring his half-brother, retired detective Harry Bosch to vet the various requests for help being sent to him, Haller hopes that he can do a little good alongside his usual controversial legal practice.  However, the first case that Bosch picks might be the most dangerous.

Several years ago, Lucinda Sanz was accused of killing her sheriff’s deputy ex-husband in front of her house, a crime she always claimed she was innocent of.  Reading through her case, Bosch is convinced that there is far more to the murder than the files indicate, especially when he discovers evidence that the victim was part of a notorious police gang.  Convincing Haller to take on Lucinda’s case, the pair begin to investigate further and begin the process of having her conviction appealed.

However, proving Lucinda’s innocence is no easy task, especially with substantial evidence proclaiming her guilt, a police force closing ranks against them, and no new witnesses willing to come forward.  Worse, there are many people who don’t want Lucinda’s case re-opened, and soon Bosch and Haller find themselves being threatened on all fronts.  With determined legal opponents facing them in the court and dangerous foes waiting for them at home, can even the Haller-Bosch dream team uncover the truth and save their client?

Connelly does it again with an outstanding and deeply addictive read that had me hooked from the very beginning.  Expertly bringing together two of his best characters into an intense and clever legal thriller, Resurrection Walk is an amazing book, and it was probably one of my favourite Connelly reads from the last few years.

Resurrection Walk has a brilliant story around it that sees the characters of Haller and Bosch teaming up to try and get an innocent woman out of prison.  While billed as a Lincoln Lawyer novel, the plot of Resurrection Walk is split between Bosch and Haller, with both characters working on the case from their own unique perspectives.  Connelly dives into the fantastic story of Resurrection Walk quickly, effectively setting up the primary case, while also including some intriguing minor side cases and the compelling personal issues of the two protagonists.  While a couple of the side cases and adventures at the start of the book do seem a little unnecessary in the context of the main plot, I quite enjoyed them, and Connelly does tie a couple of them back into the story in some compelling ways.

The main plot itself is extremely fun as it cleverly builds on Haller and Bosch’s existing character arcs, while also presenting the reader with a unique case.  Haller and Bosch working to free a woman who pled no contest to a murder charge was always going to be a recipe for success, and Connelly turns it into gold with his writing.  The author breaks the story perfectly down the middle between Haller and Bosch, and the combination of an intriguing investigation arc and Haller’s entertaining legal manoeuvrings was a ton of fun.  There were also some intriguing thriller elements as the two protagonists are targeted by parties interested in stopping their investigation, which really ensures the reader gets more invested in the story.  The start of the book deals with the initial investigations into their client’s claims and coming up with a game plan for a potential appeal.  This proved to be a fascinating and vital part of the book as it expertly introduced a lot of the salient points to the reader while also quickly indicating that there are a ton of anomalies at play.

I really liked that Connelly took his time getting to the trial, and it helped to set up anticipation for the legal shenanigans to come.  The trial in question takes up most of the second half of the novel, and it proved to be the best part of the entire novel as it brings together a lot of the story threads that Connelly previously set up.  By the time you get to it, the reader is pretty invested in Lucinda Sanz’s story of innocence, and you want to see her triumph over the system that oppressed her.  It also helped that Connelly was presenting a unique legal case in this book as Haller goes federal and sues the State of California with a habeas petition to try and overturn his client’s decision to plead out a murder they were framed for.  This results in a very different game plan for Haller, and the resulting trial goes in some very interesting directions.  Connelly really keeps the reader on their feet during the trial, and there is a blazing back and forth between Haller and his opposition, especially when both start playing some dirty tricks.  Both sides have victories and defeats, and I liked how Connelly kept the reader in constant suspense, as you were never certain which way the case was going to go.  Haller of course puts in his typical over-the-top and unconventional legal strategies, which throws the case in some interesting directions and leaves the reader very entertained at times.  It was especially fun when some of them backfire on him, and the reminder that the protagonist isn’t legally invulnerable was a great part of the plot.

Everything leads up to a big conclusion which wraps up the plot in an interesting way.  While I liked elements of the finale, I did think that Connelly got there a little suddenly, and it kind of messed up the overall flow of the book.  I also wasn’t the biggest fan of the fact that the major event that sealed the deal occurred outside of the courtroom, and I honestly would have preferred some form of elaborate legal tactic to save the day.  Still, there are some great moments at the end, especially when Haller uses a few more tricks to make things go his way, minus some funny legal repercussions, but it was a generally satisfying ending that I deeply enjoyed.

Connelly did a wonderful job writing Resurrection Walk, and I loved how well he set out the story.  I deeply appreciated how there was some real authenticity in the various legal elements of this book, from the unique trial, the boundless prep-work, and the other vital work involved in the process.  Connelly also broaches some interesting concepts during the trial, including AI generated crime scene renderings, which was fascinating, even if it didn’t always go the way you hoped it would.  This book has a wonderful pace to it, especially during the intense and moving trial sequences, and I loved how invested I got in events, including those associated with the main case, and the personal lives of the two dynamic protagonists.  Connelly has a lot of experience of inserting his main protagonist, Harry Bosch, into other protagonists’ stories, and I think that he was a strong inclusion in Resurrection Walk as an equal protagonist to tell an outstanding story.  There is an equal balance of storylines and actions between the two, and I deeply appreciated the different tenses that the author uses depending on who the perspective character is, especially as the first-person perspective is perfect for Haller and his ego, while the third-person perspective fits Bosch’s quieter personality better.  This, and other elements, ensured Resurrection Walk’s narrative really popped, and Connelly amazing writing helped to turn this into an amazing read.

I mentioned how well the author switched between these two well-established protagonists, but Resurrection Walk also had some awesome character dynamics and arcs that added to the overall impact of the plot.  Both Haller and Bosch have been going through some intriguing ongoing storylines for several of their last appearances, and it was great to see some resolution or continuation of it here.  Haller, for example, has been trying to come to terms with what he wants to do as a lawyer as he has been having a certain amount of dissatisfaction with being a defence attorney for the city’s scum.  Bosch, on the other hand, has been slowly (ever so slowly) dying of cancer for the last few books, and his work with Haller in Resurrection Walk is due to Haller getting him on his insurance.  However, this raises even more issues for Bosch, as he, a former cop, is now working for a defence attorney, and he finds himself on the other end of the law process as a result.  This results in some intriguing and tense interactions between the two protagonists, especially as these brothers have different interpretations of the law, and it was really fascinating to see them come at the same case from very different angles.  Tension, inner drama, and other personal concerns added some excellent emotional weight to Resurrection Walk’s plot, and I really enjoyed seeing these protagonists in action, especially as there is a certain amount of respect gained between them as the case proceeds.  The author handles both characters extremely well in Resurrection Walk, and while I am a little dissatisfied that Connelly seems to be backing away from Bosch being on death’s door (an experimental treatment is making him better), both of Connelly’s amazing and iconic protagonist have an amazing time in this book and their collaboration was pure gold.

Michael Connelly once again produces one of the best crime fiction books of the year with the exciting legal thriller Resurrection Walk.  This is a captivating and powerful novel that combines a fascinating and intense legal case with two fan favourite characters to produce an exceptional and awesome read.   I powered through Resurrection Walk in no time at all, and it ended up getting an easy five-star rating from me.  One of my favourite books of the year, I cannot recommend the clever, moving, and highly addictive Resurrection Walk enough.

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The Armour of Light by Ken Follett

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Five-Star Books, Historical Fiction4 Comments

The Armour of Light Cover

Publisher: Macmillan (Hardcover – 26 September 2023)

Series: Kingsbridge – Book Four

Length: 737 pages

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Acclaimed author Ken Follett returns with another exceptional addition to his iconic Kingsbridge historical fiction series with the fantastic and captivating The Armour of Light.

Out of all the authors who dive into the complex and impressive genre of historical fiction, few are as well-known or epic as Ken Follett, who has been dominating the genre for years with his massive and epic thrillers.  I have only really had the chance to explore Follett’s historical fiction books, with his Century trilogy being a particular favourite of mine (one of my favourite trilogies of all time).  However, Follett’s most iconic work is his Kingsbridge series, which has long gained mass recognition and accolades

The Kingsbridge books are a series of massive, epic novels that chronicle the complex lives of the residence of the town of Kingsbridge in historical England.  Each book follows the lives of several intriguing characters as they attempt to survive the various challenges and turmoil of the age, often coming into conflict with each other in some elaborate and extended ways.  The series started in 1989 with The Pillars of Earth, which is probably Follett’s most successful novel.  Set over the course of 50 years in the 12th century, The Pillars of Earth showcased a range of personal, political, economic and social issues that the characters spent their lives overcoming in different ways, often loaded with dramatic or historical significance.  An exceptionally epic book, The Pillars of the Earth is very highly regarded and was turned into a compelling TV miniseries with an awesome cast.

Follett has since followed up his original novel several times throughout his career, with each of the Kingsbridge books set in a different period of the town’s history.  For example, the 2007 release World Without End (which was also adapted into a miniseries), is set in the 14th century around the start of the Hundred Year’s War.  The 2017 novel, A Column of Fire, was another compelling sequel that mirrored the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth I and featured a compelling plot involving Catholic spies and religious conflict.  The fourth book was the 2020 novel, The Evening and the Morning (one of my favourite books of 2020), which served as a prequel to the rest of the series and showed the founding of Kingsbridge in the early years of Viking infested 11th century.  All four of these books have been exceptionally good, and I love following a whole new group of characters while exploring the unique aspects and conflicts of their historical era.  Due to how much love I have for this amazing series, I was pretty damn excited when I found out that Follet had a new Kingsbridge novel coming out in late the 2023 with The Armour of Light.  Set during the early years of the English Industrial Revolution, The Armour of Light sounded so damn good, and it was one of my most anticipated books of 2023 as a result.

England, 1792.  As Napoleon Bonaparte begins his rise to power in France, the people of England look on in fear and curiosity at the changes wracking their neighbour.  As the march towards progress continues throughout England, many people find their way of life changing faster than they can adapt.  Nowhere is this felt more keenly that the town of Kingsbridge.  A major hub of England’s cloth industry, Kingsbridge has been transformed by the rampant industrialisation and modernisation of ancient textile processes.  Now the cloth workers of Kingsbridge are forced to work in crowded factories, pushing out vast amounts of material in often unsafe conditions.  But with each new advance and new dangerous machine, the number of workers needers diminishes, and soon many in Kingsbridge find themselves out of work and thrust into poverty.

As the march towards war with France continues, many inhabitants of Kingsbridge will find themselves thrust into a conflict between the rich and the poor of England.  Spinner Sal Clitheroe tries to make an honest living, but her stubborn determination to get justice continues to put her into conflict with the town’s rich and elite.  Wool merchant Amon Barrowfield attempts to salvage his family’s business, only to find tough rivals on every front.  Weaver David Shoveller attempts to run a fair business, but an ill-advised love affair could ruin everything, while Sal’s son Kit finds himself obsessed with the new machines manipulating the wool.  These figures personal struggles will define the struggle of their generation, as the fight for freedom and enlightenment coincides with a much bigger war.

Ken Follett has another fascinating and impressive character-driven read with The Armour of Light that once again follows several complex figures as they live their lives in historical England.  Clever, powerful and chock full of historical detail, The Armour of Light was an outstanding addition to the Kingsbridge series and just had to give it a full five-star review.

Much like the other books in the Kingsbridge series, The Armour of Light follows a group of intriguing characters as they navigate life during a turbulent period of England’s history and attempt to change their destiny and the destiny of the people they love.  Set between 1772 and 1824 (although most of the main story ends in 1815), you get an intriguing examination of each of these characters as they overcome all manner of adversity, oppression, war and more.  The scope of The Armour of Light’s story is pretty damn epic as Follett really lays on the challenges and tragedies for his characters to endure and overcome.  There is intrigue, politics, imprisonment, business rivalries, unexpected deaths, conscription, unrequited loved and much more as many of the protagonists find themselves going up against the system and often coming off second best.  You really grow attached to these characters as you follow them throughout the decades and see many of them grow up, find their callings, fall in love, and more, only to often see them then at their worst as they encounter setbacks they can’t overcome.  While most of the story deals with the industrial changes the characters are trying to get used to, the plot does also tie into the Napoleonic War.  Naturally, pretty much all the characters find themselves over in Belgium in 1815, so everyone is involved at Waterloo to some degree or another.  This proves to be an impressive end to the story, and it was fascinating to see where all the various characters ended up, especially after experiencing the deadliest of battles.  I had an outstanding time getting through this elaborate story, which honestly had me hooked the entire time.  Despite The Armour of Light’s near 750-page length, I managed to power through it in a matter of days, its story was that damn interesting.

As I mentioned, The Armour of Light is part of the Kingsbridge series and serves as a sequel to all four previous novels.  However, due to compartmentalised nature of the book’s plot and the focus on completely new characters, readers do not need a prior knowledge of the rest of the Kingsbridge books to enjoy The Armour of Light.  The novel is very accessible, and due to the substantial gap between it and A Column of Fire, readers should really consider this a standalone novel that any historical fiction fan can easily enjoy.  However, long-term fans of Follett and the Kingsbridge series will no doubt appreciate seeing how the setting of Kingsbridge has evolved over the years, especially in the face of industrial revolution, which changed the nature of the textiles industry that has always been central to the series’ plots.  There are also a bunch of clever references and connections to the previous novels, although if you don’t pick these up it in no way ruins your flow or enjoyment of the story.  As such, The Armour of Light is a book most readers and historical fiction fans will be able to enjoy, while also serving as an intriguing continuation to the Kingsbridge series.

One of the main reasons why I enjoy the Kingsbridge books so much is because Follett excels at showcasing fascinating historical periods and working his characters into unique situations based on the events of the period.  The Armour of Light is an incredibly good example of this as it examines the impact of the early Industrial Revolution on a textile town like Kingsbridge.  Follett really dives into the intricacies of the mechanised weaving process that would have taken place in factories like this, and the various issues they caused.  As the book progresses, the characters are introduced to new machines more efficient than the last, which causes more of the characters and inhabitants of Kingsbridge to lose work.  This leads to discontent amongst the working classes, many of whom are trying to raise themselves up through any means possible, and the rich factory owners and the other elites try to hold them down using various legal and political angles.  As such, the story captures interesting aspects about the English legal system and the controversial politics at the time, especially as parliament was so against unionisation and other actions after seeing the revolution in France.  I quite enjoyed the discussions that occurred surrounding the French Revolution and Napoleon at various points of the book, and it was fascinating to see the various classes reactions to these events, such as fear from the wealthy, and interest from the poor.  Other intriguing historical elements were also examined throughout the book, such as the growing rivalry between the Church of England and the Methodist faith, and I had a wonderful time seeing them all introduced into the plot.  Follett did a remarkable job working so many of these historical details into The Armour of Light’s story, and it helped to make this a fantastic and fascinating read I couldn’t put down.

Finally, I need to highlight the great characters featured throughout the plot.  Follett came up with an intriguing collection of figures to follow in The Armour of Light, and each of them goes through some compelling trials and tribulations.  I really enjoyed the range of different characters featured within the novel, although most of them were tied into the wool trade to some degree to really hammer home the novel’s main point about change and industrial revolutions.  Follett came up with some very interesting personal stories for each of these characters, and their powerful journeys through life, love and loss, was the true heart of the book.  This includes Sal Clitheroe, the heart and soul of the book, Amon Barrowfield, the always hopeful young merchant, and David Shoveller, a mostly noble figure who works to help those he can.  I also loved the striking Alderman Joseph Hornbeam, who served as the book’s main villain.  The wealthiest man in Kingsbridge, Hornbeam is determined to expand his empire no matter who he must crush to do so.  As such, he comes into conflict with many of the protagonists, and his actions are usually the crux for much of the book’s plot.  I really enjoyed Hornbeam as an antagonist, and Follett weaves some interesting storylines around him, including a hidden backstory, and a redeeming examination of his love of family.  Pretty much all the characters in The Armour of Light were extremely well written, although I thought it was a bit odd that every major female character either committed adultery or lusted after another man while married.  I’m not sure if that was commentary on women’s lack of choice back in the 18th and 19th centuries or some particularly interesting choices from Follett, but it was weird that it happened at least four times.

Ken Follett did an outstanding job continuing his amazing Kingsbridge series with the wonderful book, The Armour of Light.  A compelling and historically rich novel, The Armour of Light was another great read and I had such a fantastic time getting through it.  I have so much love for the Kingsbridge series, and I cannot wait to see what period Follett decides to explore next.  Highly recommended.

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Usagi Yojimbo: Volume 38: The Green Dragon by Stan Sakai

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Comics/Manga, Five-Star Books4 Comments

Usagi Yojimbo - Volume 38 - The Green Dragon Cover

Publisher: IDW (Paperback – 18 April 2023)

Series: Usagi Yojimbo – Volume 38

Length: 128 pages

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I once again return to one of my absolute favourite comic book series as Stan Sakai brings out the 38th volume of his iconic Usagi Yojimbo series, The Green Dragon.

Fans of this blog will know that I am a massive fan of the classic Usagi Yojimbo comic series, having had a ton of fun reviewing multiple volumes of it over the years.  Written and drawn by the legendary Stan Sakai, the Usagi Yojimbo comics are set in a version of Feudal Japan inhabited by anthropomorphic animals, and follow a rabbit Ronin, Miyamoto Usagi, as he journeys the countryside fighting monsters, bandits, and other dangerous foes.  These comics are something truly special thanks to their clever stories, great characters, beautiful artwork, and impressive utilisation of Japanese mythology and iconography, and I have so much love for them.

Usagi Yojimbo #27 Cover

For the last couple of years, Usagi Yojimbo has been published by IDW comics, who have done a pretty good job continuing this epic comic, especially as they started the trend of releasing the volumes in colour right off the bat, which has been highly effective and striking.  All the previous IDW volumes, including Bunraku and Other Stories, Homecoming, Tengu War! and Crossroads, have been pretty awesome five-star reads, so I knew that I was going to have a ton of fun with the latest volume, The Green Dragon.  Containing issues #27-31 of the current series, The Green Dragon featured three intriguing new stories, each of which was better than the last.  This was another very strong entry in the series and Sakai did a wonderful job of continuing some storylines from the previous volumes while also making The Green Dragon stand out in some distinctive ways.

The first story in The Green Dragon is one of the shorter entries, titled A Ghost Story.  This story sees Usagi and his current travelling companion, his cousin Yukichi, travelling through a dark, apparently haunted forest before coming to a shrine at its heart.  The shrine is dedicated to a deceased pregnant maid who was murdered on the orders of her lover and master, and now stands as a place of prayer for women in similar circumstances.  Upon reaching the shrine, Usagi and Yukichi see history start to repeat itself, as another maid praying at the shrine is attacked by a group of bandits intent on murdering her.  Intervening to save her, Usagi and Yukichi attempt to discover who ordered the hit, only to discover a murderous plot with unexpected twists.  Worst, the ghosts of the forest are out in force, and they won’t go until revenge is satisfied.

Usagi Yojimbo #27b Cover

A Ghost Story was a fun story that utilises a few compelling elements that are very familiar to Usagi Yojimbo readers.  The murder plot at its heart is a bit simple, especially when it comes to working out who is orchestrating events, but Sakai tells it in a very compelling manner, especially with the fun action and quick-paced plot.  The parallels between this current murder plot and the story told to them at the beginning was an intriguing story device, especially as it gets twisted around a little, and I loved how Sakai works in supernatural elements to the narrative.  Sakai has made great use of vengeful and tricky ghosts in his stories before, and I felt this one was particularly good, especially as it gave the plot some fitting narrative justice.  It was also quite amusing to see Usagi acting as the wise mentor to Yukichi when it came to matters he is very familiar with, such as ghosts and murder plots, so I had fun with that.  This was an overall strong and entertaining first entry in this volume and it sets up the story extremely well.

Usagi Yojimbo #28 Cover

The second story in this volume is another single-issue story, The Long Road, which follows a different highly familiar Usagi Yojimbo trend of Usagi intervening in a sudden bandit attack in the woods.  This time, Usagi and Yukichi encounter a merchant and his servant being ambushed by bandits determined to steal a valuable jade figurine.  Managing to scare off the bandits just after they kill the merchant, Usagi and Yukichi agree to escort the servant to the next town and deliver the figurine to its buyer.  However, as they continue their journey, it soon becomes apparent that their new travelling companion is in league with the bandits, and he is leading them into a trap.

Usagi Yojimbo #28b Cover

This was another great Usagi Yojimbo story that has a similar feel to previous entries, although Sakai uses that to his advantage.  Usagi Yojimbo fans have seen a whole lot of Usagi-led escort missions over the years, but The Long Road was a pretty good overall story.  Part of this was because Usagi is very much wising up to treachery that always seems to occur on these missions, and he takes active steps to not only identify the threat but also counter it in a satisfying way.  There is also a lot of entertaining betrayal, especially as the disloyal servant learns a harsh lesson about backstabbing from some experts.  It was also quite entertaining to see the green and unworldly character of Yukichi get a hands-on lesson about being a Yojimbo, especially as Usagi has some fun explaining at the moral issues surrounding it.  Combine that with Sakai’s great art, the well-drawn battle scenes, and the way it leads into the main story of the volume, and The Long Road is an impressive story that has a lot going for it underneath its veneer of a typical Usagi Yojimbo entry.

Usagi Yojimbo #29 Cover

The final story in this volume is the main entry, The Secret of the Green Dragon.  A three-issue long story that continues in the immediate aftermath of The Long Road, The Secret of the Green Dragon has much of the volume’s meat and sees Usagi and Yukichi get involved in a deadly battle between rival ninja clans.  The story starts with the samurai continuing their journey to deliver the jade figurine from The Long Road, only to witness a courier going to the same destination being brutally murdered by the flying Komori Ninja.  Usagi and Yukichi soon discover that the Komori Ninja are after something very special being delivered to the town, and naturally that secret package is in their care.  As they attempt to work out why their package is so important, Usagi runs into his old friend Chizu, former head of the Neko Ninja, who reveals that the figurine’s box contains an important missive that will cause issues for the scheming Lord Hikiji.  Hiring Usagi and Yukichi as bodyguards, Chizu leads them on a desperate mission across the countryside to escape the hovering Komori Ninja.  But the Komori Ninja aren’t an easy foe to avoid, and the trio soon find themselves under attack in the snowy landscape.

Usagi Yojimbo #29b Cover

The Secret of the Green Dragon is easily the best story in the entire volume as it takes the protagonists on one heck of an adventure.  Storylines with the various ninja clans of Usagi Yojimbo’s Japan are always extremely fun, and The Secret of the Green Dragon is no exception to this as it features the sinister Komori Ninja.  Flying bat ninja with blades attached to their wings, the Komori Ninja are always a fantastic addition to any plot as Sakai sets them up as one of the most unique and deadly foes in the series.  Sakai makes especially great use of them in The Secret of the Green Dragon, and their constant pursuit of the protagonists over the harsh wintery terrain makes for some impressive visuals.  The author loads this story with a ton of action, and there are some amazing set pieces that are extremely well showcased by Sakai’s art style, including desperate chases, powerful air-to-surface combat, and forays across impossible terrain.

Usagi Yojimbo #30 Cover

There are a lot of fun story elements involved with The Secret of the Green Dragon, especially as it continues a lot of the ongoing plotlines involving the feuding ninja clans and Chizu’s attempts to regain control of the Neko Ninja.  The volumes ongoing storyline about Yukichi getting introduced to the various complicated elements of Usagi’s life as a wander was well set up, and he and Usagi learnt some harsh lessons about trust.  Watching Usagi lose his faith in Chizu after she engages in one deceit too many is pretty striking, and Chizu’s obvious regret later really makes this hit harder, especially as it is just one more tragedy this lonely ninja is forced to experience.  Finishing up with a threatening cameo from the series’ best villain, Jei, this ended up being a very strong story that is likely to have some intriguing repercussions later.

Usagi Yojimbo #30b Cover

I once again really need to highlight the outstanding artwork that is such an important cornerstone of this comic.  Sakai does some amazing drawings in The Green Dragon, and I loved the elaborate sequences that come together as a result.  All three stories are filled with eye-catching shots of beautiful Japanese scenery and towns, which really adds to the ambience of the story.  I particularly enjoyed the snowy landscapes that were such a big part of the third story, The Secret of the Green Dragon, serving as a powerful backdrop to the pursuit and battle-laden plot.  The villains of The Secret of the Green Dragon, the Komori Ninja, are also well showcased in the art style, and I think the full-colour spread helped to give them an added edge.  Their various attack scenes are very distinctive, especially compared to the typical combat sequences between Usagi and other samurai, and Sakai always goes out of his way to make the Komori Ninja a powerful villain with his drawings.  I honestly loved every beautifully drawn panel featured in The Green Dragon, and Sakai is still doing some amazing work after all these years.

Overall, The Green Dragon by Stan Sakai is an epic and fantastic volume in the always impressive Usagi Yojimbo series.  Filled with great art, clever stories, and some amazing, well-established characters, The Green Dragon was another strong outing from Sakai and one that I absorbed the second I got my hands on it.  There is a reason this is my absolute favourite comic series, and I will be reading this until the day it ends.  Highly recommended, especially for long-time fans of the comic, and one that pretty much gets an automatic five-star rating from me.

Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead by K. J. Parker

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Comedy/Satire, Fantasy, Five-Star Books9 Comments

Saevus Corax Deals With the Dead Cover

Publisher: Orbit (Trade Paperback – 10 October 2023)

Series: Corax – Book One

Length: 359 pages

My Rating: 5 out of 5 pages

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One of the most unique and funny authors of fantasy fiction, K. J. Parker, returns with an outstanding and hilarious read about a likeable protagonist caught up in the middle of so much drama, with Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead.

Few authors have the comedic chops and inventiveness of K. J. Parker, whose work I have been deeply enjoying over the last few years.  A pseudonym of established fantasy author Tom Holt, Parker has written a ton of unique and compelling reads over the years, including some outstanding novels that set outrageous and clever protagonists against the stupidity of their world in some impressive scenarios.  I particularly enjoyed Parker’s recent The Siege series, which saw three very different men take advantage of a major siege in very different ways.  All three Siege books were extremely epic, and they all got five-star ratings from me because of their clever stories, entertaining characters, and fantastic comedy.  This includes Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City (one of my favourite books of 2019), How to Rule an Empire and Get Away with It (one of my favourite books of 2020) and A Practical Guide to Conquering the World (one of my favourite books of 2022).

Due to how much I enjoyed Parker’s last series, I was very excited when I found out that he had a fun new trilogy coming out in 2023.  This series, the Corax trilogy, follows Saevus Corax, a professional battlefield looter who runs afoul of multiple groups, nations and people in his quest for survival and the big score.  Parker, who seems to be an unstoppable force when it comes to writing, released all three Corax books in the space of around a month, which is pretty damn impressive.  I have so far had the great pleasure of reading the first of these, Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead, which proved to be an exceptional novel and one of my favourite books of 2023.

Saevus Corax is a man with a twisted and hidden past, who seeks to make a new future for himself by looting the many, many battlefields that scatter his world.  Leading a professional band of scavengers, Corax makes his living by selling recovered and repaired gear from the dead to warring armies desperate or greedy enough to buy from him.  While not the most glamorous work, it’s a job Corax excels at, and it allows him to escape his complicated history.  But the past always has a habit of coming back when you least expect it, especially when there is a great deal of money on the line.

Finishing up a lucrative job, Corax and his men are shocked to discover that they are being accused of committing a brazen heist and now have a price on their heads.  Assuming that he is the true target of this bounty, Corax soon finds himself targeted by the two most powerful banking organisations on the continent.  Forced to flee, Corax finds himself the most wanted man alive, with several nefarious organisations, as well as vengeful members of his own family, placing a massive bounty on his head.  But who is Corax really, and why does everyone want him either alive or dead?

To understand that you’ll need to unwrap Corax’s complex history, and the events that turned him into the most important figure in world politics.  But Corax is sick of being a pawn in everyone else’s game, and he soon starts to make his own moves to ensure his independence.  Will Corax survive, or will his attempts at upsetting the board result in chaos and destruction across the world?

This was an absolutely amazing read from K. J. Parker that placed a very likeable and relatable protagonist into one heck of an elaborate bind.  Filled with a wry humour, outrageous scenarios and constant treachery, Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead was an outstanding read that gets a very easy five-star rating from me.

Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead has a great story that is told in a first-person chronicle format from the perspective of titular protagonist Saevus Corax.  This is the exact way that Parker wrote The Siege trilogy, and indeed this book is set in the same world several hundred years down the line.  This results in a different landscape for the story, with the bulk of the technology, culture, and certain story elements reminiscent of medieval times rather than the previously seen Romanesque setting, and Parker uses this to his full advantage, especially as the protagonist finds himself caught in a battle between this world’s equivalent of the historic banking giants, the Knights Templar and the Knights Hospitaller.  While nominally a fantasy novel, as it is set in a different world, this series often comes across more as an alternate history novel with comedic undertones, which is highly fun.

The author comes up with an awesome tale surrounding this scenario, as the compelling protagonist is thrust into this conflict against his will thanks to certain aspects of his birth.  Corax recounts this entire adventure in detail, as he first attempts to ascertain who is trying to capture him after framing him for a crime, before eventually going on the run.  Despite promising the reader to always tell the truth, Corax proves to be a somewhat unreliable narrator, mainly because he doesn’t have a desire to share his own personal history unless he must.  However, this hidden history comes into play quite a lot, as his past ensures he is immensely important for just being him.

Inevitably betrayed and captured, Corax is sent off to experience his destiny, which results in some substantial carnage as the protagonist attempts to either escape or turn the situation to his advantage.  This leads to several amusing battles, impractical wars, and other major confrontations, as Corax and the other characters lie, backstab and manipulate to try and get what they want.  Watching a highly practical man with a professional understanding of warfare and a capable imagination face off against various foes who constantly underestimate him makes for some great entertainment, and the various twists and turns that emerge are so much fun.  This entire story comes together extremely well, and the sheer number of betrayals, changing loyalties and attempts by people to use the protagonist for their own advantage ensure you’re never certain who’s going to come out on top of every brilliant scene.  The conclusion of Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead’s plot is very clever, and it brings together a lot of the unique world and compelling story elements that have been built up over the course of the story.  The way that the protagonist overturns everything just to maintain his life is so much fun, and the fitting rewards all the characters get is very fun.

I have so much love for how this story comes together, as the protagonist’s recounting of events really works to give you a personal and complex take.  Every moment of the story is told through Saevus Corax’s cynical and distrustful eye, which adds a certain slant to events, and the author does a great job of providing some fun, but detailed, context to the events unfolding.  Much of this book’s excellent humour is lifted from these outrageous situations that the protagonist finds himself in.  The protagonist does a great job of expressing the ridiculousness of many of these moments, as well as the funny ways he manages to oppose them, often by using simple human nature or flaws in various systems to his advantage.  I loved how well Parker introduced his protagonist is this novel, and Corax’s excellent narration of current events, as well as the compelling and often emotionally charged retelling of his personal history, comes together well to tell an impressive story.  I really cannot emphasise enough how well this first-person narration works, and the detailed recounting of events from a grounded, sensible and exasperated figure really makes for a unique tale.

As the first book in this new trilogy, Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead is a self-contained book, and readers don’t need to have read any of Parker’s previous novels to appreciate it.  As a fan of The Siege series, I enjoyed that the Corax books are set in the same world, especially as the author slips in some fun references and allusions to prior events.  However, no prior knowledge of The Siege books is needed, as the protagonist provides all the relevant world history in his narration, with a few fun and ironic points about the unreliability of prior narrators.  Parker does a good job of quickly building and exploring the various nations and powers in this world, especially if they relate to the plot, and I liked some of the fun parallels that exist between some of them and real historical entities.  The interplay of politics, the rivalries between powers, and the simple desire many of these groups have to betray each other is well set out as a result, and this works into the plot of the book very effectively, especially once you begin to understand just who Corax is.  I really enjoyed how all these elements are explored in the plot, although I did on multiple occasions wish that Parker had included some form of map just so I could have kept track of locations and nations.  I honestly had such a great time returning to this amazing world, especially as we got to follow yet another unlikely leader who was able to change the world just by applying their own unique brand of knowledge and an understanding of how fallible humans can be.

Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead was an incredible novel from K. J. Parker that continues to showcase his exceptional and comedic writing style.  Setting a great protagonist down a chaotic road, Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead had an amazing story which Parker showcases in his well-honed and enjoyable style.  Immensely clever and exceedingly funny, Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead comes highly recommended, and I loved every second I spent reading it.  I already have both sequels, Saevus Corax Captures the Castle and Saevus Corax Gets Away with Murder (both with very intriguing titles), and I am hoping to read them as soon as possible as I know I will love them too.

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House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Five-Star Books25 Comments

House of Open Wounds Cover

Publisher: Head of Zeus (Ebook – 7 December 2023)

Series: The Tyrant Philosophers – Book Two

Length: 636 pages

My Rating: 5 out 5 stars

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The always deeply impressive Adrian Tchaikovsky returns with an exceptional and remarkable piece of fantasy fiction, House of Open Wounds, which presents the reader with a particularly unique and ruthlessly entertaining story, chock full of brilliant characters.

Few fantasy authors have the range and style of Adrian Tchaikovsky, whose distinctive contributions to the science fiction and fantasy fields are quite remarkable.  While Tchaikovsky has written several highly regarded series, I have only just scratched the surface of his works, having read a few of his recent reads.  This includes his first foray into the Warhammer 40,000 universe, with the captivating standalone read, Day of Ascension, as well as the brilliant and elaborate novella, Ogres.  However, my favourite book from Tchaikovsky so far would have to be the outstanding City of Last Chances.

The first book in The Tyrant Philosophers series, City of Last Chances was an outstanding read that I had the pleasure of enjoying earlier this year.  Set around a conquered city with several unique magical inclusions, City of Last Chances introduced the reader to a cool new world and told a range of character driven stories about resistance, religion and sacrifice.  City of Last Chances got a very easy five-star rating from me, and it honestly was one of the best books and audiobooks I enjoyed in the first half of 2023.  I had such a brilliant time with City of Last Chances that when Tchaikovsky announced he was releasing a sequel in the second half of 2023, I was ecstatic.  This sequel, House of Open Wounds, continued some of the complex storylines Tchaikovsky started in City of Last Chances, and it was one of my most anticipated books for the second half of the year.

There are few nations more feared or relentless than the ever-expanding Palleseen.  A rising empire of zealots who are determined to bring Perfection and Correctness to an imperfect world, the Palleseen have advanced out of their homeland in an unstoppable wave, wiping out all religion and superstition as they go.  As cities and kingdoms fall before their military might, their armies leave behind mounds of dead and wounded soldiers who require tending in field hospital tents just behind the frontline.

Into this chaos is thrust the god smuggler Yasnic.  A former priest, miracle healer and occasional rebel, whose previous experiences with the Palleseen saw him hanged, attacked and banished from his city, Yasnic has experienced many upheavals throughout his life.  Saved from another execution by the army bureaucracy, Yasnic and his box of orphan gods arrive at the frontlines, where he has been assigned to work in an unorthodox medical unit.

Made up of a mixture of former priests, gods, magicians, alchemists, artificers, necromancers and led by a gigantic brute known as the Butcher, the experimental medical unit treats the soldiers no one else can save and recycles the rest into the war effort.  Entrusted to save the Palleseen soldiers, but doomed if anyone ever discovers the full extent of their abilities, the surgeons and orderlies of this unit ply their bloody trade as best they can while living as part of an unusual family, but the arrival of Yasnic could change everything.

As Yasnic works to fit into the unit and save lives, his unusual connections to the weakened and hidden gods of the world slowly begin to cause chaos throughout the army.  Not only is he aware of the divine forces that secretly hang around the hospital, but his own illegal and crotchety God is determined to bring miracles to the Palleseen, whether that want them or not.  As an outbreak of impossible healing and sudden pacifism spreads through the regiment, can Yasnic keep himself and his gods alive, or will the full force of the Palleseen zealots come crashing down upon him?

This was another epic and truly remarkable novel from Tchaikovsky that had me hooked the entire way through.  Featuring a dark, bloody and fun story, House of Open Wounds was a particularly distinctive read that told its own captivating story while continuing some of the best elements from City of Last Chances.  Funny, thoughtful and moving in equal measures, House of Open Wounds was an incredible and addictive novel that gets another very easy five-star rating.

I was very impressed with the exceptional and moving narrative that Tchaikovsky pulled together for House of Open Wounds, and I was hooked the second I got into it.  After the events of City of Last Chances, the reader is thrust into a new part of Tchaikovsky’s fantasy world as you find yourself imbedded in a Palleseen battalion following the members of an unusual but effective military hospital.  Like City of Last Chances, House of Open Wounds is strongly character driven, as you follow the personal stories surrounding each of these unusual outsider characters and learn about their complex pasts while watching their lives play out in the present.  Much of the plot revolves around returning protagonist Yasnic and his God, who are drafted into the unit, and you get to see his experiences of the other characters, the wars, and the internal Palleseen bureaucracy.  Most of the first half of House of Open Wounds is dedicated to exploring the new cast of characters and introducing their unique stories, as they find themselves closely following a bloody and dangerous war.  This part of the book is primarily focused on the healing and medical work of the protagonists, as well as diving into their reasons for being there and the unique skills they bring to the surgical table.  Apart from that, there isn’t an amazing amount of major plot progression here, except when Yasnic starts to mix things up around the battalion.  While this pace is a little slow, this first half of the book was really fun and enjoyable, as you find yourself getting really lost in the characters’ lives, unique struggles, desires, and experiences.  It also helps that many of these character details, as well as the mundane events of the hospital, eventually lead to bigger things later in the main plot, and Tchaikovsky does an outstanding amount of set up here.

The plot picks up a lot more in the second half, when the main battalion moves to a different warzone and find themselves involved in a substantial fight that really pushes the medical unit to its limits.  The new battles, as well as the intriguing location they find themselves in, move several of the character arcs in some big directions, and you find out more and more about each of the main characters as a result.  The constant chaos that surrounds Yasnic also starts to take its toll on the main story, as his strangeness and the double-edged miracles he occasionally brings cause him to make enemies and upset the delicate balance of the Palleseen army.  At the same time, the Palleseen war machine starts to alienate the members of the medical unit, who find their talents being stolen to create weapons.  Everything leads up to the big finale, where the protagonists attempt to free themselves with an elaborate and ambitious plan.  This plan makes great use of all their individual skills and histories, and so many little details and elements from the story are used to bring a fun and creative conclusion to the book.  Each of the fascinating character arcs conclude nicely and I loved how Tchaikovsky masterfully brought everything together in a satisfying and entertaining way.

Tchaikovsky utilises his typical excellent and distinctive writing style to convey this elaborate and entertaining narrative to the reader, and I had such a wonderful time seeing it unfold.  As with the previous novel in the series, Tchaikovsky relies very heavily on perspective changes to tell a multilayered, character-driven story.  Like the previous book, many of the major characters are initially showcased in their own chapter at the beginning, which often leads to additional cast introductions.  As the book progresses, the chapters feature perspective changes so you can see more interactions and a wider view of the entire story.  I loved the immediate deep background on several of these characters, and while you still often must wait a while to get their full story, you learn enough to like them in the opening parts of the novel.  Tchaikovsky makes full use of these characters to tell a fantastic story, and I loved how well he showcases some unique events through their eyes.  As with the previous book, House of Open Wounds has a range of tones as Tchaikovsky works hard to produce the right balance of humour, excitement, and moving and powerful character moments.  The multiple detailed and confronting scenes of the bloody battlefield hospitals are well balanced out by the fantastic and subtle humour, which often comes from the outrageous situations that occur throughout the book, as well as the various character’s unique outlooks on life.  This made for a particularly compelling book as you found yourself moving from comedic scene to a more dramatic or tragic moment with frequent regularity, as you find yourself stuck onboard a well-thought-out emotional roller coaster.

House of Open Wounds proves to be an intriguing and clever follow-up to City of Last Chances, especially as the author deepens the lore surrounding this fantasy world and brings back two fantastic protagonists.  Readers of City of Last Chances will have an absolute blast with this book, as you get some interesting follow up to Yasnic’s compelling storyline while also seeing a different side to the antagonistic nation from the first book.  This is a somewhat loose follow-up, and you really don’t need to have read City of Last Chances to enjoy House of Open Wounds.  In many ways this is a good standalone novel, especially as most of the focus is on a whole new group of protagonists, and even Yasnic is given a new name for much of the book.  Tchaikovsky does ensure that some of the key details and plot points from the first book are carried over when needed, although he does leave a bit of context out in places so as not to overwhelm new readers.  As such, House of Open Wounds is a very accessible read, although established fans of Tchaikovsky are going to particularly enjoy this, especially if they loved City of Last Chances.

One thing you can always rely on Tchaikovsky to do is to pull together an elaborate and deeply compelling world to set his stories around.  This is extremely true in this series as Tchaikovsky has come up with a war-torn landscape filled with magic, gods, demons and a new rising empire.  The author did some interesting set up for this world in the previous novel, although the plot there was primarily contained inside a single city.  In House of Open Wounds, the reader gets to see a bigger chunk of this world, even though much of the plot takes place either on the battlefield or in the camp behind the lines.  Despite this, you get a better idea of the politics, wars and conquests that have taken place in recent history, and you particularly learn more about the Palleseen.  The Palleseen are a group of ideological zealots dedicated to bringing their version of perfection to the world, which primarily involves breaking everything down into logic and reason, and doing away with superstitions and beliefs.  As such, their goal is to rid the world of gods, deities and other superstitions, usually by conquering the lands and bringing them under the control of their relentless bureaucracy.  Most of this book is dedicated to exploring the nature of their war machine, and you really get to see just how corrupt and ambitious some of their members are as a result.

I loved the focus on the military hospital and the war camp for most of the book, especially as seeing the various members of Palleseen camp allows the reader to fully understand the many problems, compromises and cruelties the Palleseen experience on their road to perfection.  Tchaikovsky throws in some great critiques of militarisation and empire building throughout the book as you see these perfect Palleseen become racked with pride, ambition and greed to prove themselves and advance up the ranks.  Their determination to win means they turn a blind eye to gods and superstitions when it suits them, and that results in the experimental medical unit that serves as the centre of the book.  However, while they appear to only want the assembled gods, alchemists, and other strange magics for healing, really they are working to corrupt them into terrible weapons to further their war capability.  There are several great storylines that see the Palleseen turning benevolent tools and creatures into highly inventive tools of war, and it serves as a major plot point and motivation for several characters, including a few Palleseen who have enough of their colleague’s lust for power.  Combine that with the returning minor gods, who end up having their own impact on several characters, and the reader comes away with a very cynical look at the Palleseen, and empires in general, which both ridicules them and shows just how malevolent and insidious they can be.

The real key that pulls together House of Open Wounds is the huge array of memorable and complex characters that are introduced throughout the course of the plot.  Tchaikovsky does a remarkable job of introducing and swiftly building up some truly amazing characters in this novel, and their compelling and often traumatic personal stories become so highly ingrained in the plot as a result.  There are so many great protagonists and supporting figures in this novel, and I was personally impressed with how all of them were original characters that were not built up in the prior novel.

The main exception to this rule is Yasnic and his god, both of whom were introduced in City of Last Chances and who are masterfully inserted into this sequel.  Yasnic was honestly one of Tchaikovsky’s best characters in City of Last Chances and I was so glad to see more of him here, especially as the author somehow manages to work in even more development after all the defining character moments that shaped him in the prior novel.  Since we last saw him, Yasnic has moved on from being the last priest of a forgotten god and has instead become a more generalised religious figure, offering shelter and assistance to fallen and orphaned gods who no longer have any power or believers by carrying them around in a box on his back.  After everything he has gone through, including his own crisis of faith, Yasnic now has a different view of the world, although he is still being haunted by his demanding and petty god.  Yasnic has some wonderful moments in this book as he tries to fit into his new role while also hanging onto the trappings of his old life.  Desperate to save everyone he can, Yasnic finds his views and pacifism really badly damaged by the constant war and the relentless and orderly Palleseen, and he is forced to make some haunting compromises.  You really get some very interesting insights into Yasnic’s mind in this book, especially as you see how the aftermath of him abandoning his position as a priest impacted him.  You cannot help but feel for the extremely likeable Yasnic at times, as he is thrust into tragic and heartbreaking positions against his will, and his quiet determination and general positivity pluck at your heartstrings.  Throw in some great new friends, an unusual but surprisingly wholesome love interest and a series of unfortunate misunderstandings that frustrate even this gentle soul, and Yasnic once again stands out as a particularly awesome and likeable protagonist.

The other side of Yasnic’s character resides in the body of his tiny, stumpy, and petty deity, God, a former major healing god who has lost all his worshippers apart from Yasnic, but still maintains his powerful healing abilities.  However, God refuses to heal anyone unless they swear a vow of pacifism, and if they cause harm to someone in any way, it will result in their wounds automatically returning, generally resulting in a sudden death.  Thanks to his stubbornness, pride, and his whiny focus on Yasnic’s soul, God was one of the most entertaining characters in City of Last Chances, and I am really glad that Tchaikovsky brought him back for House of Open Wounds.  While he is still a judgemental, mischievous and ugly angel on Yasnic’s shoulder in this sequel, you get to learn more about God and why he refuses to help save people.  There are some surprisingly emotional scenes where God expresses why he is so bitter and you really get a much better understanding of his angry mind, especially when Yasnic makes the same mistakes, adding to God’s sadness.  I also loved how well God played off Yasnic as he proves to be a surprising and entertaining counterpoint to the humble and nice former priest.  While most of their dialogue is quite contentious, with God trying to control his increasingly independent former priest, you can see deep down that God cares about Yasnic, and they form quite an interesting and fun duo.  Tchaikovsky took God’s character arc in some interesting directions towards the end of House of Open Wounds, and I have a feeling he is going to be a real nuisance to people in the next book.

House of Open Wounds also features quite a fun range of supporting characters, each of whom has their own compelling story to tell.  This primarily includes the crazy and unusual group of associated healers and hospital workers that work in the experimental hospital unit, as well as the competitive and dangerous Palleseen officers controlling their destinies.  I won’t go into too much detail here, as I could honestly go one for a paragraph about each, but I was really impressed with how well Tchaikovsky set each of them up and explored their histories and stories as the booked continued.  There are some brilliant and very well fleshed out character arcs everywhere in House of Open Wounds, and I loved just how compelling a story Tchaikovsky was able to make as a result.

Adrian Tchaikovsky once again shows why he is one of the absolute best authors of complex and intelligent fantasy fiction with this outstanding and epic read.  House of Open Wounds is a deeply clever, compelling and moving read that hooks the reader with its unique scenarios, fantastic humour, and memorable characters.  I loved every single second I spent reading this novel and I really appreciated the amazing way Tchaikovsky chose to continue the great story started in City of Last Chances.  I cannot wait to see what over elaborate fantasy stories Tchaikovsky creates in this universe in the future, and this epic novel is one of the best pieces of fantasy fiction I enjoyed in 2023.

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Mr Einstein’s Secretary by Matthew Reilly

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Five-Star Books, Historical Fiction6 Comments

Mr Einstein's Secretary Cover

Publisher: Macmillan Australia (Trade Paperback – 17 October 2023)

Series: Standalone

Length: 464 pages

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

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Acclaimed Australian author Matthew Reilly presents one of the most entertaining, moving and brilliant historical fiction reads of 2023 with his compelling and well-written novel, Mr Einstein’s Secretary.

Matthew Reilly is a highly creative Australian author who has been wowing audiences for years with his elaborate and inventive thrillers and science fiction novels.  Known for his Shane Schofield and Jack West Jr series, as well as several impressive standalone reads, Reilly has produced an intriguing array of fiction throughout his career, much of which revolves around ancient secrets and action-seeking protagonists.  I have personally only had the pleasure of reading one of Reilly’s novels so far, the intriguing 2019 release, The Secret Runners of New York, which saw a group of teenagers travel back and forth between the modern city and a future dystopia.  I really enjoyed this cool book and I have been meaning to read more of Reilly’s works.  As such, when I got a copy of Reilly’s first foray into historical fiction, a favourite genre of mine, with Mr Einstein’s Secretary, I had to check it out, and boy was I glad that I did.

Born at the start of the 20th century in Berlin to an American mother and a German father, Hanna Fischer is a curious young woman whose greatest wish in life is to study physics like her mother and her neighbour the great Albert Einstein.  However, when her peaceful existence is violently turned upside down in 1919, Hanna has no choice but to flee to America and make a new life for herself in New York.

Forced to give up her dreams of studying physics, Hanna makes the fateful choice to enrol in a prestigious school for secretaries.  Her decision will place her in the orbit of some of the most interesting people in the city, including business tycoons, socialites, gangsters and one determined Treasury agent, as she works to find a way to return home.  But as the years go by, it soon becomes apparent that the Germany she left behind is no longer her home, especially when Hanna returns to Einstein’s orbit as his secretary.

Trapped in Germany when the Nazis come to power, Hanna is recruited as an American spy and soon finds herself serving as secretary to several high-ranking Nazis.  Caught between dangerous men, lethal intelligence operatives and her own conflicted loyalties, Hanna attempts to uncover the terrible truths of the Nazi regime without her own secrets coming out.  But not everything in Hanna’s life is as it seems, and one dangerous part of her past will always come back to haunt her.

Mr Einstein’s Secretary was a fascinating and compelling read that had me hooked very early thanks to its unique style, focus on various gripping parts of early 20th century history, and fantastic characters.  Loaded with some fascinating detail, a ton of action and a wonderful life story, I honestly couldn’t put this book down at times and I managed to power through the entire second half of the book in a single afternoon.  Due to its clever writing and brilliant story, I just had to give Mr Einstein’s Secretary a full five-star rating, and this is honestly one of the best historical fiction novels of 2023.

Reilly tells a very unique story in Mr Einstein’s Secretary that primarily focuses on protagonist Hanna Fischer and her experiences living through some of the most turbulent parts of history.  Reilly really piqued my interest early on when the first-perspective narrative opens on the protagonist’s funeral, with the reader apparently seeing it through her ghost’s eyes.  While having the narrator’s funeral upfront can sometimes be problematic, I think it worked out well for this book, especially as Reilly introduces a few key characters for the reader to keep an eye out for, before jumping into three key scenes from the protagonist’s life.  These scenes are three separate interrogations that the protagonist experienced during her intriguing career, each one undertaken by a different regime, including the American police, the Nazis, and the Soviets.  All of these interrogations are key reference points in the main story, and you are immediately intrigued to see the chain of events that leads the protagonist to each of them, as well as how she managed to get out of the deadly situations each time.

After this excellent introduction, the story begins in earnest with a more traditional chronological approach.  Starting with her childhood in Berlin where she lived next to Albert Einstein, Hanna’s story quickly fills with tragedy and adversity, especially as the early clouds of fascism and the consequences of World War I cause her to lose everything and force her to flee to America, where she is enrolled in a secretary school.  This early part of the book is well set out, introduced several key characters, and really showcased some of the defining early moments for the protagonist that would serve her well in the future, as well as exploring the impacts that chance and simple choices can have on a person.  The next section of the novel set in New York is initially a bit slower, but it soon picks up, especially when the Prohibition Era kicks in.  Reilly has an excellent way of portraying someone’s personal story in the most interesting way, and I loved seeing Hanna’s life in America, especially when it combined early corporate America with gangster lifestyle and the burgeoning physics scene.  There is a compelling sojourn back to Germany for Hanna that results in nothing but heartbreak, especially when her twin is involved, and I really enjoyed the protagonist’s encounters with a New York gangster during this time, especially as it showcases just how practical and cold Hanna can be when necessary.  This part of the book ends when it reaches the events of the first interrogation, and the protagonist becomes a more permanent secretary to Einstein.

From there, the plot of Mr Einstein’s Secretary moves at a much quicker pace, especially when Hanna gets dragged into the events surrounding the rise of the Nazi regime.  Trapped in Germany after Hitler’s rise to power, Hanna is recruited to spy on the Nazis and becomes the secretary to key members of the party.  Thanks to this, Hanna has an excellent view of the full evils of the Nazis and becomes involved in several espionage missions against them and the Soviets.  This part of the book combines spy thriller moments with compelling and dark historical detail, and you really get caught up in Hanna’s life as an operative, especially when it goes side by side with some of the major moments of the Nazi regime.  I was absolutely powering through this part of the book it was so darn fascinating, especially as Hanna had to also deal with personal issues and her growing revulsion about what she was witnessing.  Reilly keeps the plot moving quickly in the final third of the book, and there are some truly intense scenes leading up to the fall of Berlin, especially when Hanna is forced to make some hard choices and faces the ultimate betrayal.  I loved some of the shocking moments and twists that emerged in this last section of the novel, especially as it places the protagonist in some major trouble, and the resulting scenes have you constantly on the edge of your seat.  Everything ends on a pretty comfortable and satisfying note, and I felt that Reilly resolved his story in an excellent if crowd-pleasing way.  An overall outstanding, gripping and electrifying story from start to finish.

While this impressive story is pretty strong and exciting in its own right, what really elevates Mr Einstein’s Secretary is the author’s clever and distinctive writing style.  I loved how Reilly set up the entire story as the memories of a shadowy figure watching their own funeral, especially as events unfolding before them reminds the protagonist of some of the most traumatic memories of her life.  The initial focus on the three defining interrogation sequences produces an extra strong start for the novel, and the fascinating foreshadowing that resulted really heightened the reader’s anticipation for the rest of the story.  While the story does transfer to a more traditional biographical novel after these scenes, Reilly breaks this up masterfully by having the narrator suddenly remember other similar events of her life, and then having this scene unfold.  For example, when the character visits a certain location as a child, Reilly will then insert a quick paragraph showing the same location at a different part of her life.  This switch between time periods proves to be a fascinating and powerful way of expressing the character’s linked memories, and it also adds in some interesting additional foreshadowing and some fascinating contrasts.  Reilly does a wonderful job of highlighting what part of the character’s life these memories are from by changing the font type around, and I loved how multilayered the novel got as a result.  An additional font choice towards the end of the book also highlights a shocking and dark change in narrative focus, as a similar figure starts to tell the story in their own twisted way.  These unique writing elements really helped to turn Mr Einstein’s Secretary into quite a distinctive read, and I deeply appreciated Reilly’s desire to experiment and tell a historical story his own way.

Aside from Reilly’s intriguing narration and style choices, I also think that Mr Einstein’s Secretary had an excellent balance of action, intensity, drama and romance to appeal to a wide audience of readers.  The author does a remarkable job of developing his protagonist while simultaneously exploring so many fascinating historical events and moments, especially in New York and Germany.  So many key historical events in the lead-up to and eventual outbreak of World War II are covered in excellent detail, and Reilly does an outstanding job of working his protagonist into these events and making her a witness and participant.  I loved Reilly’s depictions of 1920s New York, which served as a grand backdrop for much of the early narrative, and the author takes the time to showcases several key periods of the decade, from the early roaring twenties with the economic boom, the prohibition era, and the eventual Wall Street crash.  There are also some fascinating, if necessarily dark, depictions of the rise of the Nazi regime in Germany, which Reilly captures perfectly, especially through the eyes of his protagonist who has her own issues with the Nazis due to her family and her association with Einstein. There is even an intriguing discussion about historical physics, with the protagonist having a fantastic inside track, and watching her spy on the German attempts at nuclear technology is an intriguing part of the book, especially after seeing Oppenheimer earlier this year.  Reilly utilises all these historical events extremely well, and his use of them allows for some great support characters, especially as there is a combination of fun original characters and multiple real life historical figures.  I had such a brilliant time with the historical focus of Mr Einstein’s Secretary, and it proved to be a powerful, exciting and well-balanced read.

Matthew Reilly does it again with his first major foray in historical fiction.  Mr Einstein’s Secretary is a powerful and captivating tale of life, love and loss in the run up to World War II and I loved every second spent with Reilly’s compelling protagonist.  Featuring a brilliant and unique style from the author that deeply enhances an already fascinating narrative, Mr Einstein’s Secretary was a treat from start to finish, and I cannot recommend it enough.

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Cave 13 by Jonathan Maberry

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Five-Star Books, Science Fiction, Thriller15 Comments

Cave 13 Cover

Publisher: Macmillan Audio (Audiobook – 29 August 2023)

Series: Rogue Team International/Joe Ledger – Book 3/13

Length: 19 hours and 5 minutes

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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One of my favourite twisted authors returns with an outstanding new entry in one of his best series with Cave 13 by Jonathan Maberry.

It has already been a massive year for fans of thriller/horror author Jonathan Maberry, who previously released the exhilarating and intense dark fantasy novel Son of the Poison Rose.  The awesome sequel to Kagen the Damned (one of my favourite novels and audiobooks of 2022), Son of the Poison Rose was one of my favourite books and audiobooks from the first half of the year, and if that had been the only Maberry novel I’d received in 2023 I would have been content.  However, Maberry chose to spoil us by providing us with another epic Joe Ledger novel, which is so damn amazing.

The Joe Ledger novels are an amazing science fiction thriller series that follows titular protagonist Joe Ledger as he attempts to stop a series of insane world-ending threats initiated by compelling group of villains.  The initial Joe Ledger series featured 10 epic books with some outrageous and addictive stories around them, including Patient Zero, The Dragon Factory, Code Zero, Predator One and Deep Silence, just to name a few.  Maberry followed up these novels with a new Joe Ledger focused series, the Rogue Team International books.  This series has so far featured Rage (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2019) and Relentless (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021), both of which were pretty exceptional in their own ways.  As such, I have been quite excited to see a new Rogue Team International book and Cave 13 was one of my most anticipated books for 2023 as a result.

To many, Jason Aydelotte, better known to the world as Mr. Miracle, is a smiling and beatific public figure celebrated for his archaeological endeavours and his vast antiquities business.  However, beneath the smiles, Mr. Miracle is a far more ruthless and sinister operator.  Smart, determined and ambitious, Aydelotte has entered the world of international arms dealing and is willing to sell his advanced weapons to anyone who will buy them, including ISIS, and his latest product might be the scariest thing ever created.

Thanks to discoveries made in a hidden ancient Egyptian tomb, Aydelotte’s team has developed a powerful new bioweapon that drives its victims insane with a mere breath.  Its effect is terrifying and its potential for destruction in the wrong hands is immeasurable.  With the world going insane and chaos rising in the Middle East, the only people who might be able to stop such a potent weapon are Joe Ledger and the highly specialised agents of the independent intelligence agency, Rogue Team International.

However, the release of a deadly bioweapon soon proves to be the least of Ledger’s problems in the Middle East.  Far more dangerous materials were recovered from the tomb, including bizarre books of magic dating back to the time of Moses.  At the same time, greater secrets have been pillaged from a hidden cave containing even more Dead Sea Scrolls, some of which could alter the very fabric of the universe.  With threats piling up all around them, and enemies on all sides engaging in their own dangerous plots, can Ledger survive both the carnage and his own fractured mind to save the day, or will a new ruthless opponent destroy everything?

Cave 13 was another outstanding and captivating Joe Ledger adventure from Maberry that sets his troubled protagonist against another brilliantly elaborate world-ending plot.  Slick, intense and loaded with complex characters, Cave 13 was an amazing read that gets an easy five-star rating from me, especially in its audiobook format.

Maberry produced another unique and compelling story for Cave 13 that is once again perfectly told in his unique writing style.  Utilising a vast number of shorter chapters, Maberry quickly starts the story off, reintroducing the protagonist and his team, while also setting up the compelling antagonists and their complex evil plan.  A series of well-placed and absolutely fascinating interludes throughout the book provide greater context to the events that are about to unfold, and you get to see the entire genesis of the antagonist and their plans, which adds a lot to the overall story.  Maberry artfully blends this together with the main storyline that sees Ledger and his team investigate several unique occurrences, including conflicts in the Middle East, increases in unique weapon trafficking, the recovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, as well as mysterious events that could only have been done by certain biblical magic (“you’re playing with the big boys now”).  The intriguing blend of science, mysticism, faith and mystery gives Cave 13 a particularly fun edge, and I really liked the intriguing set-up surrounding the antagonist’s plot and its full potential for destruction. At the same time, the author also dives back into the complexity surrounding his protagonist’s damaged psyche, and how this new case might affect it.

While I loved all the set-up in the first third or so of the novel, it does ensure that the initial plot is a tad slower.  This changes once Ledger and his team arrive in Israel and find themselves under attack in a particularly brutal action sequence right off the bat.  Maberry’s action scenes are always extremely awesome, and you have to love the attention and detail he puts into making them as intense as possible.  This cool action sequence is well balanced at this point by some further background, as well as a compelling sequence of events surrounding recurring side-character Toys, who finds themselves at a different side of the conflict following an undercover operation gone wrong.  This part of the story, especially the twist about the antagonist’s true plan, really increases the stakes and intensity of the story, and Maberry has a lot of fun creating some intense visual horrors for the readers, especially when it comes to a series of twisted and brutal hallucinations.

The final third of Cave 13 is probably the strongest part of the book, and I honestly was hooked the entire way through, desperately trying to get to the end.  All the great set-up, intriguing interludes, and multitudes of well-established characters comes together for the big confrontation at the end as the antagonist’s plan goes full circle and Ledger and his team once again find themselves in hell.  Things get so damn dark, desperate and freaky at this point in the book, and you are left completely worried about all your favourite characters as Maberry doesn’t have the best track record of keeping likeable cast members alive.  There are some brutal scenes here, as well as a ton of tragedy, and the reader is left on the edge of their seat right until the very end.  While I came away from parts of this book a bit shellshocked, I was overall very happy with the conclusion, which was dark, had a good twist around the villain, raised a lot of questions about the protagonists, and left you with a little ray of hope that will no doubt get snuffed out in the future.  An overall pretty epic story that really came to life in Maberry’s hands, especially thanks to his unique set out and brilliant ability to write an action sequence.

Cave 13 ended up being quite an interesting Joe Ledger novel, especially as it presents a great story and the first original villain of the Rogue Team International era, while also cleverly diving into the prior events of the series and utilising them to enhance the characters and narrative.  I really enjoyed the step away from the villains of Rage and Relentless for this one book, although I also appreciated how well the author examined the aftermath of these novels and the dark things they’ve done to the protagonist.  Like most of the Joe Ledger books, Cave 13 can be read as a standalone novel, and Maberry does a good job of recapping all the relevant prior events and characters to ensure that new readers can fully understand and appreciate everything going on.  However, established fans of Maberry are going to get the most out of Cave 13, and there are a ton of unique hints or suggestions about what is to come.  I found it particularly interesting that Maberry chose to include multiple scenes in Cave 13 that were clearly intended to set up certain events for future entries.  While these scenes are a tad disjointed from the main story, I won’t lie and say it didn’t make me excited for the next book in the series, especially when it comes to those hints about certain villains returning.  I was a little less impressed that several storylines or mysterious events from Cave 13 were deliberately left unanswered by Maberry, but I guess I’ll just have to wait and see what happens with them in the next exciting Joe Ledger novel.

As with all Maberry’s work, one of the main highlights of Cave 13 was the excellent and complex characters.  Maberry features a pretty massive cast in this novel, including a range of recurring figures from the previous novels, as well as several intriguing new figures who I really enjoyed.  As usual, Maberry does a remarkable job of showcasing all his characters, diving into the compelling histories and minds, and showcasing just how crazy or morally dubious they are (you have to be in order to survive in this universe).

Naturally, the most prominent character is protagonist Joe Ledger, who has been the leading figure and main point-of-view character in this series since the beginning.  An unstoppable action man and natural leader, Ledger is always a fun character to follow, especially as Maberry installs an overwhelming level of snark and disrespect in his personality, ensuring that every scene he’s in is full of quips, jokes and very funny observations about the crazy things he encounters.  While this alone makes him a great character, and the source of much of Cave 13’s humour, Maberry ensures that Ledger is one of his most complex protagonists ever due to the sheer amount of trauma the character experiences.  Ledger has gone through so much damage, darkness, loss and despair during the course of the series, and Maberry spends a substantial part of the protagonist’s chapters diving into this, showcasing just how emotionally and mentally battered Ledger is.  While I always love how effectively Maberry showcases the building trauma surrounding his character, it is even more poignant and important in Cave 13, as this is Ledger’s first adventure since the events of Relentless, where Ledger was taken over by a murderous personification of his own inner darkness and went on a deadly revenge trip.  Some of the most emotionally powerful parts of the book revolve around Ledger and his friends coming to terms with his terrible actions in the last book, and it is clear that Ledger has been extremely changed by the events of the prior book.  Naturally, Maberry decides to twist the knife even further in Cave 13 by subjecting Ledger to a series of traumatising visions and hallucinations thanks to the book’s big bioweapon.  This drives Ledger even further over the edge, and there are some fascinating and highly revealing scenes that give you further insights into just how cracked this protagonist is and the dangers lurking just beneath his mental surface.  Honestly one of the best and most compelling action protagonists out there, I really love how Maberry showcases Ledger in this gripping novel.

In addition to Ledger, Cave 13 features a range of other compelling characters who get their moment to shine.  My favourite would have to be the always mysterious Mr Church, the head of the secretive Rogue Team International.  A highly elusive and deadly figure whose origins and full capabilities are only hinted at; Church is easily one of the best characters featured in the entire series.  Maberry makes exceptional use of Church in Cave 13, and there are so many more tantalising hints about who or what this character might be.  This actually proves to be one of the most substantial Church novels in the entire series, and Maberry goes out of his way to not only show that this seemingly unstoppable figure is actually vulnerable, and is in some ways just as much of a bastard as the book’s villains.  There are several amazing and highly powerful monologues from Church in Cave 13 that give you some fascinating insights into his mind, especially when it comes to Ledger and the constant war that he and Church are fighting, and I loved getting an idea of just how ruthless this figure can be.  Several of these monologues are delivered to another awesome figure in Cave 13, the team’s psychiatrist, Rudy Sanchez, a notoriously calm figure who finally loses his cool in this novel after Ledger goes back into the field, straining their relationship.  I loved seeing Rudy particularly passionate and angry in Cave 13, especially when he stands up to Church, and Maberry’s portrayal of his concern really helps to highlight just how much damage was done to Ledger in the previous book.

Another major figure from Cave 13 that I need to highlight is the intriguing figure of Alexander “Toys” Chismer.  A former villain turned repentant ally, Maberry set Toys on a redemptive arc several novels ago, and it has been really paying off as Toys has turned into a fascinating figure trying to atone for his past.  His impressive long-running storyline is extremely well featured in Cave 13, and indeed he is one of the major protagonists, leading his own team and experiencing some substantial additional trauma.  Toys honestly has one of the darkest and most impressive character arcs in the entire novel, and the scenes he shared with Ledger are particularly moving and play into their complex antagonist history perfectly.  The various recurring members of Rogue Team International are well featured again in Cave 13, and it was fascinating to see how some of their character arcs have developed over the course of 13 novels.  My favourite fuzzy assassin, Ledger’s dog, Ghost, was of course awesome in this book, and I always loved just how in touch with his human’s emotions Ghost is.  There was even an intriguing extended cameo from F. Paul Wilson’s iconic protagonist, Repairman Jack, who Maberry utilises extremely well in Cave 13’s story, simultaneously working them into the plot while also diving into the Repairman’s unique life in his own series.

Finally, I must highlight some of the villains in this book.  Maberry always excels in creating complex and insane antagonists for each of his novels, and Cave 13 is no exception, as you are introduced to several intriguing villains who are set to unleash chaos upon the world.  I won’t give away too much about them and their plans here, but I will say that Maberry did an exceptional job of introducing them and diving into their various quirks, plans and desires, in some cases humanising them.  This actually helps to make them even more sinister as you start to understand and appreciate some of their actions, even if they are reprehensible.  I deeply enjoyed the complex examinations of each of Cave 13’s main villains, especially as the various interludes showcase their intriguing histories as well as the genesis of their current plans and schemes, allowing you to fully appreciate everything about them.  These villains, as well as a couple of seemingly returning antagonists hidden in the shadows, ensure that Cave 13’s stakes are always extremely high, and I loved how well the various complex character arcs mixed together to create an outstanding and powerful read.

As with every Jonathan Maberry novel I have so far had the pleasure of enjoy, I chose to check out Cave 13 on audiobook, which is the only way to enjoy one of Maberry’s epic tales.  Not only does the author’s awesome writing style and action sequences really come across well in the audiobook format, but the exceptional narration of acclaimed voice actor Ray Porter, who narrates all of Maberry’s projects, is so damn awesome.  Porter has such a brilliant handle on Maberry’s great characters, and it is always fun to hear the familiar voices of the main cast come out of Porter’s mouth again.  I particular love Porter’s take on main character Joe Ledger, as Porter always manages to capture the key parts of his personality, including the humour, mental instability and the pure rage contained within.  This, and other excellent performances, really helps to turn Cave 13 into an amazing listen, and I had such a brilliant time getting through it, and its 19-hour runtime just flew by.  Indeed, it really helped to ensure an extended road trip in an uncomfortable van was actually pretty tolerable, so kudos for that.  Easily one of the better audiobooks of 2023 so far, I cannot recommend this format enough to anyone wanting to check this epic novel out.

Unsurprisingly, I had fun with the latest Rogue Team International novel by Jonathan Maberry and it is always so damn epic to get another Joe Ledger adventure.  Cave 13 was a particularly awesome and intense entry in the series that expertly brings together an elaborate narrative, evil villains, exceptional action and complex character in an impressive overall read.  Fun, exciting and oh so darkly addictive, Cave 13 was a powerful and gripping novel that I cannot recommend enough, especially for established fans of Ledger’s amazing books.

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