Category: List

Top Ten Tuesday – Books on my Spring 2025 To Be Read (TBR) List

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics.  The official Top Ten Tuesday topic for this week featured books with occupations in the title, which I actually completed last week, so instead I’m instead going to use this post to look at some upcoming books. This is because today is the first Tuesday of Spring 2025 and I thought this would be a good opportunity to do my quarterly post about the best upcoming books I am looking forward to reading in Spring (Autumn/Fall for folks in the Northern Hemisphere). This is a regular post I do at the start of each season, and I always love to highlight some of the most impressive sounding novels coming out in the next three months.

For this list, I have come up with ten books coming out between 1 September 2025 and 30 November 2025 that I am most excited for. There are quite a few amazing novels set for release in the next few months, so it took me a while to finalise my final top ten list, including my usual honourable mentions section. I have primarily used the Australian publication dates to reflect when I will be able to get these awesome novels, and these might be somewhat different to the rest of the world. I have previously discussed a number of these books before in prior Waiting on Wednesday articles, and I think all of them will turn out to be incredible reads. I am extremely excited for these next three months and I feel that quite a few of these upcoming reads have the potential to be some of my favourite books of 2025.

Honourable Mentions:

The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown by 9 September 2025

A deeply exciting thriller from the legendary Dan Brown that will once again present a compelling mystery from history.

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The Widow by John Grisham – 21 October 2025

An intriguing new legal thriller from the always impressive John Grisham.

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King Sorrow by Joe Hill – 21 October 2025

The highly inventive Joe Hill will present a compelling new horror thriller with King Sorrow, an epic novel that sees a group of friends experience the downside of summoning a vengeful dragon.

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Kill Your Boss by Jack Heath – 4 November 2025

One of top Australian releases of 2025, Kill Your Boss will follow Jack Heath’s previous outstanding novels, Kill Your Brother and Kill Your Husbands.

Top Ten List:

Circle of Days by Ken Follett – 23 September 2025

The first book I want to highlight on this list is the upcoming historical fiction novel from Ken Follett, Circle of Days.  A historical epic set around the construction of Stonehenge, Circle of Days will follow several complex characters as they live their lives in the shadow of an iconic construction.  I have no doubt that Circle of Days will be one of the top historical fiction releases of 2025 and this is an excellent novel to start this list on.

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The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman – 25 September 2025

Few Spring releases have me as excited as The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman.  The fifth book in the incredible Thursday Murder Club series by Osman, The Impossible Fortune will follow on from outstanding novels like The Thursday Murder Club (one of my favourite books, debuts and audiobooks of 2020), The Man Who Died Twice (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021), The Bullet That Missed (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022) and The Last Devil to Die (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023).  Featuring a cool new case, The Impossible Fortune sounds like another entertaining entry in the series, and I cannot wait to see how the characters are going after the deep tragedy of The Last Devil to Die.  This will likely top all my end of 2025 best-of lists, and I cannot wait to check it out.

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Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson – 30 September 2025

One of the more entertaining novels coming out in the second half of 2025 is going to be the brilliant Australian thriller Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson. The fourth book in the Ernest Cunningham series (Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone, Everyone on this Train is a Suspect, and Everyone this Christmas has a Secret), Everyone in this Bank is a Thief will once again place Stevenson’s insightful and unlucky protagonist at the site of another crime as he is forced to investigate a murder while trapped as a hostage in a bank robbery. Blending classic murder mystery elements with a fun heist narrative, Everyone in this Bank is a Thief is going to be a hilarious read, and I cannot wait to check it out.

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Cold War by Jonathan Maberry – 14 October 2025

After already impressing with Burn to Shine, Maberry still has his second novel of 2025 coming out with Cold War.  A follow-up to his 2024 dark science fiction novel, NecroTek, Cold War will see a group of human scientists, soldiers and pilots trapped on the other side of the universe using death-powered alien mechs to fight against ancient cosmic horrors.  Sure to be another complex and chilling novel, Cold War has a ton of potential and will likely be a top book of the year.

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The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly – 21 October 2025

The always reliable master of crime fiction, Michael Connelly, has another awesome book coming out in 2025 with The Proving Ground. The next book in the author’s incredible Lincoln Lawyer series (which has previously featured books like The Law of Innocence and Resurrection Walk), The Proving Ground will team Mickey Haller with another Connelly protagonist, Jack McEvoy (the protagonist of books like Fair Warning), as he takes on a sinister AI company. Likely to combine great legal elements with a complex thriller narrative, I have a feeling this is going to be one of Connelly’s more captivating books, and I am very excited to get my hands on it.

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Tyrant of Rome by Simon Scarrow – 6 November 2025

For some additional historical fiction awesomeness in 2025, we still have the new Eagles of the Empire novel from Simon Scarrow, Tyrant of Rome. Scarrow’s second book in 2025 after A Death in Berlin, Tyrant of Rome will follow on from the previous Eagles of the Empire novel, Revenge of Rome, as the protagonists return to Rome after ending Boudica’s rebellion. This time series protagonists Cato and Macro are dragged back into the excesses of Nero when they are chosen to take control of law and order throughout the city to keep the depraved emperor in power. I love this interesting change of direction away from the brutal war stories of the last few books and it is going to be fun to dive into over-the-top Roman politics.

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The Blackfire Blade by James Logan – 11 November 2025

Last year I had the very great pleasure of reading the outstanding fantasy debut, The Silverblood Promise by James Logan. An elaborate and compelling fantasy adventure that saw a young man travel to an unfamiliar city to uncover his father’s killer, The Silverblood Promise was an amazing read that blended inventive worldbuilding with a great conspiracy storyline. I had a ton of fun with this first book from Logan, and I have been eager to get my hands on the sequel for a while now. Luckily, I only have to wait a few more months as Logan’s second book, The Blackfire Blade, is one of the big fantasy releases of the second half of the year. Continuing to follow the protagonist’s quest to find clues related to his father’s murder, The Blackfire Blade takes the reader to another elaborate fantasy city and forces the characters to uncover the new setting’s dark secrets. I have no doubt this is going to be an impressive book, and I cannot wait to see how Logan continues his amazing series.

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The Strength of the Few by James Islington – 11 November 2025

Probably the most anticipated book for fantasy fans coming out in the second half of 2025 is the elaborate and intriguing novel, The Strength of the Few by James Islington. The sequel to Islington’s highly acclaimed The Will of the Many, The Strength of the Few, will continue to follow Islington’s compelling protagonist as he attempts to undermine the empire that destroyed his family, while uncovering the hidden secrets from the past. However, this book looks set to be even more complex as different versions of the protagonist are split across three separate realities, each of whom must face its own troubles and adventures. I am extremely intrigued to see how this split narrative is going to work out but based on how damn exceptional The Will of the Many was, I have very little doubt this is going to be a particularly epic novel.

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Our Lady of Blades by Sebastien de Castell – 11 November 2025

One of the more impressive fantasy novels coming out later this year is the very cool novel, Our Lady of Blades. The next book in Sebastien de Castell’s The Court of Shadows series, Our Lady of Blades will be another standalone novel in the author’s Greatcoat universe, that will build on the previous, loosely-connected novels Crucible of Chaos and Play of Shadows. Our Lady of Blades will explore a new location in this universe and will feature a The Count of Monte Cristo inspired plot, as a mysterious masked duellist returns to a corrupt city to get justice and restore her family through any means necessary, all while the big conspiracy of the series continues to unfold. Based on how exceptional the last two books in this series have been, I feel that Our Lady of Blades is going to be a top book of 2025, and it is one I am especially keen for, especially after having a blast with de Castells other release for the year, The Malevolent Eight.

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Star Wars: Master of Evil by Adam Christopher – 11 November 2025

The final book that I want to highlight on this list is the impressive and character-focussed Star Wars tie-in novel, Master of Evil by Adam Christopher. Set to follow Darth Vader during his early days as a Sith Lord, Master of Evil will provide some complex insights into this iconic villain’s mind as he attempts to uncover the true dark side of the Force. With a very intriguing and lore-heavy plot idea, and an even more awesome cover, Master of Evil has certainly caught my attention, and I cannot wait to see Adam Christopher’s take on this legendary Star Wars character.

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Well, that is the end of my Top Ten list. I think it turned out pretty well and it does a good job of capturing all my most anticipated books for the next three months. There are some really impressive books coming out in this part of 2025, and I cannot wait to read each of them soon. Let me know which of the above you are most excited for and stay tuned for reviews of them in the next few months. In the meantime, it looks like I have quite a bit of reading to do in the near future.

Top Ten Tuesday – Books with Occupations in the Title

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List5 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics.  For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, participants get a freebie option, allowing them to post whatever they want.  I’m going to use this freebie to jump ahead and do next week’s topic, mainly because I’m hoping to highlight upcoming books for Spring 2025 next Tuesday.  As such, this week I will be listing my favourite books that have occupations in the title.

This was an interesting list topic, and I always enjoy Top Ten Tuesday tasks where I can dive into the titles of the various unique books I have had the pleasure of reading over the years.  Listing occupations featured in titles was a cool choice, and there are a surprising number of books out there that feature job titles or professions in their names.  I ended up with a substantial list of potential inclusions for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, so I made sure to restrict entries to one book from each author.  I also tried to show the most varied list of occupations I could, as I didn’t want my list to get bogged down in the various uses of solider or miliary ranks.  I think my resulting list had a great combination of various occupations used in book titles, and it liked the intriguing combination of novels that emerged.

Honourable Mentions:

The Recruiter by Gregg Podolksi

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The No.1 Lawyer by James Patterson and Nancy Allen

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The Interpreter by Brooke Robinson

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The Maid by Nita Prose

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Top Ten Tuesday:

Usagi Yojimbo: Volume 30: Thieves and Spies by Stan Sakai

A classic entry from one of my favourite comic series.  While early volumes The Ronin and Samurai would have also been excellent choices for this list, I’m instead going with the 30th volume, Thieves and Spies, which features two separate occupations in the title.

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The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson

An excellent recent fantasy novel that follows a scholar character as she tries to uncover a dark conspiracy amongst a complex and deadly tournament.  Scholar was a great occupation to have in the title, and I deeply enjoyed this epic fantasy read.

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Mr Einstein’s Secretary by Matthew Reilly

A deeply captivating historical fiction novel that follows a talented secretary who finds herself involved in multiple world events in the lead up to World War II.

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The Judge’s List by John Grisham

A judge is an excellent occupation to feature on this list, especially as this judge has some very dark secrets.

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Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett

A classic novel from the legendary Terry Pratchett that follows the humble city guard in a fantasy city as they come face to face with a magical murder.  This is an incredible novel and a great choice for this list.  Other books from Pratchett such as Men at Arms or Reaper Man might have fit in here nicely as well, but Guards! Guards! was my first choice for this list, and I’m glad I get to highlight it again.  

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The Chaos Agent by Mark Greaney

I suppose that it was inevitable that a book in one of my favourite, long-running spy thriller series would feature “agent” in one of its titles, which is a great way to describe the occupation of the protagonist.  This particular novel from Greaney was a great addition to the Gray Man series, and readers are in for a wild time with its cool plot and compelling action.

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Priest of Bones by Peter McLean

An impressive and awesome fantasy novel that follows returning soldiers determined to take over their home city’s underworld.  While the “priest” in this title is a little more criminal you would usually associate with the occupation, it still works to make this book a worthy entry to this list.

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The Devil’s Advocate by Steve Cavanagh

A title taken from a classic saying, advocate works as an occupation for the sake of this list, and I was pleased to feature a fun legal thriller from Steve Cavanagh.

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The Queen’s Captain by Peter Watt

I had a few novels with the occupation of “captain” in the title, but I decided to go with The Queen’s Captain by Australian author Peter Watt.  While captain here refers to a military rank, the word also works to describe a general occupation, so I think it works well for this list.

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Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb

The final novel I want to feature on this list is Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb.  There were several amazing books I could have used here that featured the nefarious occupation of “assassin” in the title, but I decided to go with this beloved fantasy novel, which I deeply enjoyed reading years ago.  Following a young bastard prince who finds a new, secret occupation as a court assassin, Assassin’s Apprentice is true classic and it rounds out this list perfectly.

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Well, that’s the end of this list.  I had fun listing my top books with occupations in the titles, and I’m happy with how the above list turned out, especially as there is an interesting collection of books there.  All the above come highly recommended, and I hope everyone else enjoys this topic when they look over it next week.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Sequels from the First Half of 2025

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In addition to the highlighting some of the best Australian novels I read in the first half of 2025, I am also taking this opportunity to list some of the best new sequel novels that I have had the opportunity to read this year.

Everyone loves a good sequel, and nearly every novelist and author has written some form of sequel in their career.  I’m sure we can all name some awesome books that requires some form of continuation and each year the talented authors we follow produce interesting sequel novels that cleverly expand from outstanding first novels.  I read a ton of sequels every year, but I feel that the first half of 2025 has been particularly rich in the form of amazing follow-up novels from talented authors.  Indeed, the sheer quality of some of the sequels coming out this year has been quite remarkable, and it has compelled me to dedicate this list to highlighting the very best.

To complete this list, I pulled together the best sequels released so far in 2025 that I had the pleasure of reading.  I primarily focused on second novels in a series that were released this year, especially those that I felt were outstanding follow ups to an impressive first novel and which followed the same characters or storylines.  For my top ten list, I prioritised those books I considered to be the best sequel, so while I might have enjoyed a specific novel more overall, if a book was a better sequel, it made the cut instead.  I think the resulting top ten list turned out pretty well as a result, and highlights my favourite sequels released in the first half of 2025.

Top Ten List:

A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett

The first book I had to highlight on this list was the deeply impressive and addictive fantasy/mystery hybrid, A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett.  The sequel to one of my favourite books of 2024, The Tainted Cup, A Drop of Corruption continues to follow the author’s unlikely detective protagonists as they investigate dark conspiracies in a monster-besieged empire.  This second novel was particularly epic, featuring a complex investigation narrative well supported by Bennett’s unique fantasy elements.  A deeply addictive read, A Drop of Corruption was a very easy choice for this list, and I cannot recommend this sequel enough.

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Nobody’s Fool by Harlan Coben

Next, we have the very cool sequel to Harlan Coben’s classic thriller, Fool Me Once, Nobody’s Fool.  Bringing back one of the police protagonists of Fool Me Once, Nobody’s Fool was an intense and quick-paced read, that saw a damaged figure attempt to find answers for one of the more traumatising moments in his life.  Loaded with cool twists and some great shocks, I flew through Nobody’s Fool in no time at all, and it was very interesting to see how Coben followed up his previous amazing read.

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Warhammer 40,000: Interceptor City by Dan Abnett

A very outstanding sequel that ended up being one of the best books and audiobooks I enjoyed in the first half of 2025 is the epic Warhammer 40,000 novel Interceptor City by Dan Abnett.  The long-awaited follow-up to his iconic novel Double Eagle (one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels), Interceptor City took readers back to the skies with another rich, aerial combat focused novel in the grim Warhammer 40,000 universe.  This time forcing his protagonist to fly in claustrophobic conditions amongst the ruins of a massive fallen city, Interceptor City was Abnett at his finest, and you will not be able to put down this exceptional Warhammer 40,000 sequel.

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Four Ruined Realms by Mai Corland

Mai Corland provided a great second entry in her Broken Blades trilogy this year with her brilliant novel, Four Ruined Realms.  The sequel to Corland’s 2024 novel, Five Broken Blades, Four Ruined Realms saw the author’s lethal protagonists forced to complete a deadly heist in an enemy nation.  Loaded with lies, betrayals and complex drama, Four Ruined Realms was a very impressive continuation of the series, and I had a ton of fun getting through it.

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Broke Road by Matthew Spencer

After impressing with his first novel, the Australian crime fiction read Black River, Matthew Spencer presented an incredible sequel this year with the dark and thrilling read, Broke Road.  Setting his protagonists on another harrowing investigation, Broke Road was an intense read that cleverly built on the relationships introduced in Black River.  A really amazing Australian sequel and one I’m very glad I got the chance to read.

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The Malevolent Eight by Sebastien de Castell

One of the more entertaining sequels of 2025 so far is the unhinged dark fantasy novel The Malevolent Eight.  The sequel to Sebastien de Castell’s extremely fun novel, The Malevolent Seven, The Malevolent Eight proved to be particularly awesome, especially as de Castell dialled up the mayhem and kept the readers entertained with the resulting carnage.  A very interesting and impressive novel, de Castell clearly had fun with The Malevolent Eight, and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future, especially as he has another outstanding sequel coming out later this year with Our Lady of Blades.

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The Bluff by Joanna Jenkins

Next up we have the really cool Australian fiction sequel, The Bluff by Joanne Jenkins.  The interesting follow-up to Jenkin’s first novel, How to Kill a Client, The Bluff was a great rural crime fiction novel that cleverly recreated the events leading up to a brutal death.  A fantastic, character-focused read loaded with twists, The Bluff was an excellent second novel from Jenkins, and one I had an amazing time reading.

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Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me by Django Wexler

After blowing me away with the hilarious fantasy novel, How to Become a Dark Lord and Die Trying, Django Wexler finished his story this year with the great sequel, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me.  Following Wexler’s slightly unhinged protagonist as she attempts to save everyone after achieving her goal of becoming an infamous Dark Lord, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me was an awesome second and final book from the author that I couldn’t stop reading.  Funny, addictive, and featuring some very interesting plot reveals, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me was an outstanding read and an excellent sequel to Wexler’s previous book.

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Never Flinch by Stephen King

I’m slightly cheating by including the next novel, Never Flinch by Stephen King, however, I view it as a sequel to his previous novel, Holly, as they are the first books primarily focussed on his memorable character Holly Gibney.  An exceptional and powerful crime fiction read that saw Gibney contend with the worrying schemes of two obsessed hunters, Never Flinch was an outstanding novel that you won’t be able to get away from.

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Crusade by Richard Cullen

The final sequel on this list is the excellent historical fiction novel Crusade.  The second book in the Chronicles of the Black Lion series and works as a great follow-up to last year’s novel Rebellion.  Taking his protagonist on a dangerous adventure set around the Fifth Crusade, Crusade was an exciting and captivating read that I had an amazing time with.  A fantastic sequel and a great book to end this list on.

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Well, that’s the end of this latest Top Ten list.  I think it turned out rather well and it encapsulates some of the best sequels I have checked out so far in 2025.  I look forward to reading more books from these authors in the future and I have no doubt that some of the third and fourth books in these respective series are going to be just as impressive.  It will be interesting to see what other great sequels I will get to experience in the rest of 2025, and I am sure there are going to be some exceptional new books coming out soon.  Indeed, the upcoming sequels The Last Soul Among Wolves by Melissa Caruso, Born of an Iron Storm by Anthony Ryan and The Strength of the Few by James Islington, are all currently very high on my to-read list, and I am sure they are going to be spectacular novels and deeply impressive sequels.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Australian Books from the First Half of 2025

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, List3 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics.  The official topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday was to lists books with a beachy theme to them. While this is an interesting concept, it’s not one I think I can contribute to in the dead of Australia’s Winter and I’m instead going to do something different and will provide two separate lists here that continue my theme of recapping the first half of 2025.

I have had a lot of fun recapping some of the best recent books and audiobooks released in the first half of 2025 in previous weeks, but I also need to spend this time highlighting other specific releases from the first half of the year.  While last year I examined new authors and pre-2024 fiction in my mid-year lists, as I had an abundance of these in my reading list, 2025 is shaping up to be very different, as I instead seem to have read an awful lot of novels from Australian authors.  While I generally tend to read a great deal of Australian fiction each year due to my location, I have found that 2025 has been a particularly impressive year for Australian fiction, with some truly outstanding novels from very talented local authors.

As such, I thought I would take this opportunity to highlight some of the very best Australian talents who have so far released books in 2025.  To make it onto this list, the book had to be released by an Australia author this year.  I tend to take a bit of a different approach to Australian fiction than some other bloggers, as I highlight all books written by Australian authors rather than novels purely set in Australia or featuring Australian characters.  The eventual list I pulled together was pretty long, but I was eventually able to whittle it down into the absolute best Australian books of the year so far, which included some amazing reads from across the genres.

Honourable Mentions:

Landfall by James Bradley

A gritty crime fiction read set in a deteriorating future Sydney.

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Barren Cape by Michelle Prak

A compelling contemporary read that touches on some very pressing Australian issues.

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Of Flame and Fury by Mikayla Bridge

A great young adult fantasy debut from a talented new author.

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Top Ten List:

Whisper in the Wind by Luke Arnold

First of this list we have the exceptional urban fantasy novel, Whisper in the Wind by rising Australian author Luke Arnold.  The fourth book in his Fetch Phillips series, Whisper in the Wind was a powerful novel that saw the author’s damaged protagonist once again dragged into the chaotic events engulfing the formerly magical city he doomed.  A very clever novel that perfectly built on the amazing narrative threads of the previous entries in the series, this was one of Arnold’s most impressive books yet and I cannot recommend it enough.

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Broke Road by Matthew Spencer

Next, we have one of the best pieces of Australian crime fiction in 2025, with Broke Road by Matthew Spencer.  The sequel to Spencer’s excellent debut, Black River, Broke Road brought back the author’s compelling protagonists as they investigated a brutal killing in small town Australia.  Featuring a particularly impressive and gripping case, Broke Road had me hooked the entire way through and I deeply enjoyed this complex and powerful read.

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Gunnawah by Ronni Salt

New author Ronni Salt greatly impresses with her debut novel, Gunnawah.  A captivating crime fiction read set back in 1970s rural Australia, Gunnawah provides an interesting examination of the period while hooking you with a cool mystery.  A great piece of Australian fiction from a memorable debuting author.

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Sins of the Fathers by John Byrnes

John Byrnes once again dives back into the early 20th century with his historical epic Sins of the Fathers.  Following several battling young characters as they attempt to survive the harrowing 1910s, Sins of the Fathers was another strong outing from Byrnes who has really found his writing niche.

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The Bluff by Joanna Jenkins

After having a lot of fun with her cool 2023 debut, How to Kill a Client, Joanna Jenkins returns with the outstanding sequel, The Bluff.  Moving Jenkin’s big city lawyer protagonist from her first book to small town Australia, The Bluff sees the protagonist attempt to unwind a series of events that lead to the death of the town’s local hero, and the disappearance of a young outcast girl.  A masterful read that cleverly recaps events from the past, The Bluff was a brilliant sequel from Jenkins, who continues to showcase her massive potential as an author.

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Pacific Heights by S. R. White

The next book on this list is the intricate murder mystery, Pacific Heights, by the distinctive S. R. White.  A spinoff from his main series, Pacific Heights follows two detectives as they attempt to solve a murder that took place in easy view of multiple apartments.  However, the case becomes complicated when each of the witnesses has a different story, and no series of events truly matches up.  A powerful read that combines an excellent mystery with a fun cautionary tale about perception.

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The Whisperer’s War by Jackie French

A complex World War II drama from one of Australia’s best authors, this was an outstanding book and one I got really caught up in.

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The Reunion by Bronwyn Rivers

Another outstanding Australian fiction debut in 2025 was The Reunion by Bronwyn Rivers.  Following a group of former friends who return to the scene of a great tragedy from their shared past many years later, The Reunion brought out old secrets and lies as a deranged mother tries to discover how her son truly died.  A clever and intense novel that you won’t be able to turn away from, The Reunion was very impressive, and I look forward to seeing what cool books Rivers will produce in the future.

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2 Sisters Murder Investigations by James Patterson and Candice Fox

Acclaimed Australian author Candice Fox once again teams with the legendary James Patterson for the exciting read, 2 Sisters Murder Investigation.  A sequel to 2 Sisters Detective Agency, 2 Sisters Murder Investigation was a thrilling novel that followed the turbulent sister protagonists on another wild ride.  Exciting, fast-paced and very fun, this was another great read from this impressive team.

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Vanish by Shelley Burr

The final book was the distinctive crime fiction novel Vanish.  The final book in the author’s Lane Holland trilogy (which previously featured Wake and Ripper), Vanish sees the protagonist embark on an unusual investigation to try and find the fate of a missing girl.  An outstanding novel from one of Australia’s best rising authors, Vanish was a great conclusion to the protagonist’s ongoing storylines and a very worthy entry to this list.

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As you can see from the above, I have managed to check out a bunch of epic Australian novels in the first half of this year.  Each of the above were exceptional and fun reads and I would strongly recommend to everyone.  I look forward to reading more awesome Australian books in the second half of 2025, and I feel that books like The Strength of the Few by James Islington, Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson and Once a Villain by Vanessa Len are likely to make the end-of-year version of this list.  Make sure to check out my other recent lists about the first half of 2025, especially my other Top Ten Tuesday post tonight, and let me know what cool Australian books you have already checked out this year.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Audiobooks from the First Half of 2025

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, List13 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics.  The official topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday required participants to list their favourite books that take place in a setting of their choosing.  While this is an interesting idea, and one I might come back to later, I’m instead going to continue my recent trend of discussing books from the first half of the year and highlight my favourite audiobooks from the first half of 2025.  This is a continuation of my Top Ten list from a couple of weeks ago that featured my favourite overall novels from the first half of 2025.

I have a great deal of love for the audiobook format, and it is one of the main ways that I tend to check out books.  Each year I enjoy a great number of different audiobooks and use the format to enjoy both recent releases and older novels.  I have long been a major fan of audiobooks, and it is amazing the various ways in which listening to a book can enhance your enjoyment.  A great audiobook can really bring you into the story, and I find that listening to a book enhances the amount of detail that you can take in.  In addition, other features, such as captivating voices, music and sound effects can really make an audiobook something special, and there some great examples of the format I have enjoyed throughout my life.  This year alone I have listened to a ton of outstanding audiobooks, includes some of my favourite books from early 2025.  Because I love this format so much, I thought I would take this opportunity to highlight my favourite audiobooks from the first half of the year.

To pull this list off I had a look at all the 2025 releases that I listened to on audiobook to figure out my favourites.  It turns out that I have already gone through quite a few this year so there was a large collection of potential additions to this list, which I was eventually able to whittle it down to the best ten audiobooks.  There is a bit of a crossover with my previous Favourite Books from the First Half of 2025 list, but I think there are enough new additions to make this list worthwhile.  I made sure to feature only the very best audiobooks on this list, and, in addition to the quality of the baseline novel, I also looked at audiobook production and narration.  This includes whether the audiobook has outstanding narration or uses music and sound effects to enhance the plot.  Keeping these criteria in mind, I came up with the following strong Top Ten List and associated Honourable Mentions, and all the audiobooks listed below were exceptional listens that come very highly recommended by this blog.

Honourable Mentions:

Warhammer 40,000: Fulgrim: The Perfect Son, written by Jude Reid and narrated by Andrew James Spooner

An excellent and intense Warhammer 40,000 novel perfectly brought to life by narrator Andrew James Spooner.

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Grave Danger, written by James Grippando and narrated by Jonathan Davis

James Grippando continues his fantastic Jack Swyteck legal thriller series, with the audiobook well presented by the always impressive Jonathan Davis

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Badlands, written by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child and narrated by Cynthia Farrell

Cynthia Farrell ensures this new dark thriller from the legendary team of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child really shines with her outstanding narration.

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Warhammer 40,000: Leontus: Lord Solar, written by Rob Young and narrated by David Seddon

A short, but very sweet Warhammer 40,000 audiobook that really pops when read out.

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Top Ten List:

The Devils, written by Joe Abercrombie and narrated by Steven Pacey

Let’s start this list off with one of my top books and audiobooks of the year, The Devils by the master of grim dark fantasy fiction, Joe Abercrombie.  An incredible and highly entertaining novel that sees a group of monsters attempt to place a street thief on the throne of Troy in a clever, alternate medieval Europe setting, The Devils was a particularly fun, bloody and compelling novel I couldn’t get enough of, especially on audiobook.  Thanks to one of my favourite audiobook narrators, Steven Pacey, The Devils was so much fun to listen to as Pacey perfectly embodied the entire crazy cast of this book.  Highly recommended, you are in for an epic time listening to The Devils.

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Warhammer 40,000: Interceptor City, written by Dan Abnett and narrated by Toby Longworth

Unsurprisingly to anyone who knows me, I have a Warhammer 40,000 audiobook on this list with Interceptor City.  The long-awaited sequel to Dan Abnett’s classic novel, Double Eagle, Interceptor City was a gritty and enthralling science fiction war story that saw fighter pilots battle it out amongst the massive ruins of a fallen Hive City.  A powerful and action-packed novel, Interceptor City becomes even more epic when read out by long-time Warhammer narrator Toby Longworth, who expertly showcases the intense, claustrophobic aeronautic combat sequences.  I honestly could have listened to another 20 hours of Interceptor City, and there is no better way to enjoy this epic read.

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Burn to Shine, written by Jonathan Maberry and narrated by Ray Porter

The dream team of Jonathan Maberry and Ray Porter continues to produce incredible audiobooks, this time with the gripping thriller Burn to Shine.  The fourth book in Maberry’s Rogue Team International series (Rage, Relentless and Cave 13), Burn to Shine was another exciting read that pitted the protagonists against high-tech and supernatural threats from their past.  Maberry writes an excellent story for this book, and Ray Porter once again effortlessly brings the complex characters and dark tone to life with his narration.  A deeply impressive listen from two amazing creatives.

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Sunrise on the Reaping, written by Suzanne Collins and narrated by Jefferson White

One of the more impressive audiobooks I listened to in 2025 was the new Hunger Games novel, Sunrise on the Reaping.  Suzanne Collins cleverly revisited her iconic world with a fantastic prequel novel focused around one of her best characters Haymitch Abernathy.  This amazing book really hit the readers hard, and I found myself enjoying it even more thanks to the impressive audiobook narration of actor Jefferson White.  White proved to be a perfect narrator for a young Haymitch, and I got deeply engrossed in this audiobook thanks to his fantastic voice work. An exceptional audiobook guaranteed to break your heart.

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Midnight Black, written by Mark Greaney and narrated by Jay Snyder

The latest Gray Man audiobook from Mark Greaney proved to be an exceptional piece of entertainment for a long road trip, and I really got engrossed in this gripping thriller while driving around the United States.  Once again narrated by Jay Snyder, Midnight Black’s compelling tale of desperation and imprisonment proved to be particularly addictive and constantly exciting, and I couldn’t stop listening to this book at times as I waited to see how everything came together.  An impressive new audiobook entry in one of my favourite spy thriller series.

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Four Ruined Realms, written by Mai Corland and narrated by various

One of the first audiobooks of 2025 I listened to this year was the awesome fantasy novel, Four Ruined Realms.  The sequel to Mai Corland’s 2024 novel, Five Broken Blades, Four Ruined Realms had a great story that sent the author’s lethal protagonists to an enemy nation to complete a desperate heist mission, with everything and everyone they love on the line.  Not only was this a great fantasy story, but the Four Ruined Realms audiobook once again came across as an incredible listen thanks to it’s six outstanding narrators.  Jaine Ye, Sophie Oda, Greg Chun, Zion Jang, Roger Yeh and Donald Chang each excelled at narrating the perspective chapters of one of the book’s protagonists, and I like their unique take on each of the characters.  Thanks to these six talented narrators, Four Ruined Realms was a real joy to listen to, and this proved to be a great second entry in the Broken Blades series.  I’m planning to listen to the recently released third and final book in the trilogy, Three Shattered Souls, on audiobook soon and it’s going to be an outstanding listen, even with one of the narrators stepping away after the tragic ending to Four Ruined Realms.

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Star Wars: Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear, written by Alexander Freed and narrated by January Lavoy

This year Alexander Freed presented the start of a cool new Star Wars trilogy that aimed to show the early days of Emperor Palpatine’s rule and the steps that would lead some key figures to rebellion.  The first book in this trilogy, The Mask of Fear, was a compelling and complex read that examined politics and lies in the Star Wars universe.  Thanks to the narration of January Lavoy, as well as the cool music and sound effects Star Wars audiobooks are known for, The Mask of Fear proved to a particularly impactful listen, and there is really no better way to enjoy this novel.

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Never Flinch, written by Stephen King and narrated by Jessie Mueller

Stephen King continues to impress in 2025 with his new and particularly powerful thriller, Never Flinch.  Bringing back one of his more unique protagonists, Holly Gibney, Never Flinch was a dark and captivating novel of obsession, addiction and murder, that frankly was impossible to stop listening to.  Narrator Jessie Mueller was particularly impressive, and I love her outstanding take on the story, as well as her excellent character voices.  Easily one of the best books of 2025 that really comes to life on audiobook.

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Open Season, written by Jonathan Kellerman and narrated by John Rubinstein

Another great murder mystery I was lucky enough to enjoy on audiobook this year was Open Season by Jonathan Kellerman.  The 40th book in Kellerman’s Alex Delaware series, Open Season was an outstanding and powerful novel that saw the team of a skilled psychologist and a veteran detective hunt a dangerous killer with a sinister motive.  I really enjoyed the awesome audiobook of Open Season, which I powered through on a plane ride, and frankly I couldn’t stop listening to this book at times.  Long-time Alex Delaware narrator John Rubinstein was once again amazing in Open Season, and I love his fantastic take on all the characters, including the main detective.  Thrilling, exciting and very clever, Open Season was a great audiobook that comes highly recommended.

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Days of Shattered Faith, written by Adrian Tchaikovsky and narrated by David Thorpe

The final audiobook I want to highlight on this list is Days of Shattered Faith, which I enjoyed early in the year.  The third book in Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Tyrant Philosopher series, Days of Shattered Faith continued to explore the author’s unique fantasy world where a dangerous empire of perfection-seeking fanatics conquers everything through various despicable, and often repurposed, means.  This latest book was an incredible novel of diplomacy, clashing cultures and subtle wars, and I loved the varied storylines explored within.  Narrator David Thorpe does an excellent job bringing this varied cast to life, while also capturing Tchaikovsky’s unique tone, and the result was a truly awesome listen that I deeply enjoyed.  A wonderful new audiobook entry in one of Tchaikovsky’s best series.

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Well, that’s the end of this latest list.  As you can see, there have been some very good audiobooks out in the first half of 2025.  It will be interesting to see which books make the cut later in the year, especially as I currently have several major 2025 audiobooks currently sitting on my phone, waiting to be listened to.  While I get to that, make sure to let me know what your favourite audiobooks of 2025 so far are in the comments below.

Top Ten Tuesday – Books with Honorifics in the Title

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List4 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently reside at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, participants are required to list their top ten favourite books with honorifics in the title.  The prompt for this topic states that “…an honorific is a form of address conveying esteem, courtesy or respect. These can be titles prefixing a person’s name, e.g.: Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms., Mx., Sir, Dame, Dr., Cllr, Lady, or Lord, or other titles or positions that can appear as a form of address without the person’s name, as in Mr. President, General, Captain, Father, Doctor, or Earl.”

This was a very interesting idea for a topic, and I always have a lot of fun with the fun unique title lists that appear in this series.  To fill out this list I did a deep dive through my book lists and shelves, and I was able to find a healthy collection of books with honorifics in them.  While I might have relied a little too much on the “Lord” honorific, for the most part I was very happy with the various books I found to include here, and it resulted in a very impressive and varied final list.  It turns out that I have quite a few favourite books with honorifics in their titles, including some fun unique ones, so let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

The Captain’s Oath by Christopher L. Bennett

A fantastic Star Trek novel that focuses on The Captain, Kirk, and his early days in the chair.

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Lords of the Lance by Graham McNeill

A great recent Warhammer Fantasy novel that features knights and lords facing off against undead hordes.

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The Kaiser’s Web by Steve Berry

Fun history spanning conspiracy at its best.

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Lord of the Night by Simon Spurrier

A deeply compelling Warhammer 40,000 novel that shows the true dark side of this awesome universe.

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Top Ten List:

Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett

I had to start this list off with the epic Terry Pratchett Discworld novel, Lords and Ladies.  A fantastic entry from the Witches sub-series, Lords and Ladies is an exceptional read, and it has two honorifics in the title, making it an outstanding entry for this list.

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Centurion by Simon Scarrow

Let’s go back to classic honorifics with Centurion by one of my favourite historical fiction authors Simon Scarrow.  Both a rank and an honorific that has important use in this series, Centurion was an excellent entry in Scarrow’s Eagles of the Empire series, and it was an amazing inclusion for this list.

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How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler

A very, very fun fantasy novel I had an amazing time reading last year, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, is a very worthy addition to this list, especially as both lord and Dark Lord could be considered honorifics in the context of this novel.

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Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King

Stephen King makes great use of the classic Mr. honorific in this title, as the Mr gives some extra power to the novel’s serial killer antagonist.  A particularly impressive read from King, Mr. Mercedes was a very easy choice to include on this list, and it comes highly recommended.

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Doctor Aphra: Unspeakable Rebel Superweapon by Simon Spurrier

Next up we have the incredible entry in the Doctor Aphra comic, Unspeakable Rebel Superweapon.  The honorific of course belongs to series protagonist Doctor Aphra, an infamous and manipulative archaeologist, whose doctorate was obtained in dodgy circumstances.  Despite this, she still has the doctor honorific going for her, so this was an easy inclusion to this list.  I honestly could have included any volume of the incredible Doctor Aphra series here, or even the Doctor Aphra audiobook, however, Unspeakable Rebel Superweapon was one of my favourite entries in the series, and I really cannot recommend it, or anything with this outstanding character enough.

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Ghazghkull Thraka: Prophet of the Waaagh! by Nate Crowley

Next, we have one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels, Ghazghkull Thraka: Prophet of the Waaagh! by Nate Crowley.  I am including Ghazghkull Thraka: Prophet of the Waaagh! on the list not only because it is a highly entertaining read, but also because prophet is an excellent honorific, especially in the context of the lore surrounding the titular character.

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Mistress of the Empire by Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts

Mistress was another unique honorific I wanted to include here, and the fact that is attached to an outstanding fantasy classic like Mistress of the Empire ensured this was an easy inclusion for this list.

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Star Wars: Darth Plagueis by James Luceno

I had a fun revelation as I was pulling together this list that Darth from the Star Wars universe counts as an honorific, especially as it seems to be granted to all the sith lords we see in the franchise.  Based on that, I decided to go with the classic Star Wars novel, Darth Plagueis by James Luceno, which is an incredible book in the Legends canon.  A great read that shows the infamous Plaguesis become one of the darkest Darths who ever darthed.

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Lord of Excess by Rich McCormick

Another cool Warhammer 40,000 novel with an honorific in the title I had to include here was Lord of Excess by Rich McCormick.  One of my favourite books, debuts and audiobooks of 2024, Lord of Excess was a particularly awesome read, and the honorific Lord that appears in the title helps to highlight just how crazy the pleasure and excess obsessed protagonists would go when they take over a troubled planet.

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Mr Einstein’s Secretary by Matthew Reilly

The final book with an honorific in the title I wanted to include here was the excellent historical fiction novel, Mr Einstein’s Secretary by Matthew Reilly.  A strong and complex read, Mr Einstein’s Secretary was an outstanding novel to include here, and it makes for an outstanding final entry in this list.

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As you can see I’ve had the pleasure of reading some excellent books over the years that make use on honorifics in their titles.  All the above are amazing reads and come very highly recommended, especially if you’re in the mood for some intense or exciting stories.  I’m really glad I decided to participate in this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, and it was a lot of fun diving into honorifics and their use in my favourite books.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Books From the First Half of 2025

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List18 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently reside at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics.  The official topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday involved listing books you’d like to reread.  While this is an interesting topic which I might come back to later, I had already decided in advance that this week I would take this opportunity to celebrate the fact that we are into the second half of 2025 by highlighting some amazing books from the first half of the year.

2025 has already proven to be a fantastic year for books, and I have already read some incredible new releases, including impressive standalone books, amazing entries in established series and fantastic debuts.  Because of this, I thought that I would take the time to work out what my top ten favourite books from the first half of 2025 were.  To be eligible, a book had to be a particularly epic novel released in the first half of this year.  I have excluded any books released during this period that I have not so far read, although a couple of releases I have my eye on might have appeared on this list if I had read them in time.

Coming up with this list proved to be a rather bigger task than I originally intended, as I ended up amassing nearly 20 releases, all of which I consider to be outstanding reads.  I was eventually able to whittle this down to an acceptable Top Ten list, although I did include my typical generous honourable mentions section.  I am rather happy with how this list turned out, although I am surprised at some of the great recent books that ended up being excluded.  Still, the entries below represent what I considered to be some of the best books from the first half of 2025, and I would strongly recommend each and every one of them.

Honourable Mentions:

Nobody’s Fool by Harlan Coben

A clever and impressive thriller from the always outstanding Harlan Coben.

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The Malevolent Eight by Sebastien de Castell

The exceedingly fun, and slightly unhinged, sequel to de Castell’s previous awesome novel, The Malevolent Seven.  This second Malevolent book was particularly epic, and I look forward to seeing how this series continues, as well as de Castell’s other upcoming 2025 novel, Our Lady of Blades.

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Burn to Shine by Jonathan Maberry

Another exciting and powerful entry in Maberry’s amazing Rogue Team International series.

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Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

The latest epic Hunger Games novel from Suzanne Collins, that perfectly showcased the origins of one of the series’ more iconic characters.  Highly recommended and a must read for all Hunger Games fans.

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Top Ten List:

A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett

The first ultra-impressive novel of 2025 I want to highlight on this list is the exceptional fantasy murder mystery A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett.  The second novel in the author’s Shadow of the Leviathan series, A Drop of Corruption is the brilliant sequel to The Tainted Cup (one of my favourite books of 2024).  Another intricate and powerful murder mystery set within Bennett’s clever fantasy setting; A Drop of Corruption was a particularly addictive read that I honestly could not get enough of. 

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Midnight Black by Mark Greaney

Next on the list we have the fantastic spy thriller Midnight Black by one of my favourite authors Mark Greaney.  The 14th entry in Greaney’s Gray Man series, Midnight Black was an epic read that served as a great follow-up to the cliffhanger ending of the previous novel, The Chaos Agent.  Pitting the author’s legendary spy protagonist against the entire Russian state as he attempts to free the woman he loves from an internment camp, Midnight Black was a great mixture of action, espionage and character moments that proves impossible to put down.  A very impressive entry in one of the best ongoing spy thriller series.

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Days of Shattered Faith by Adrian Tchaikovsky

One of the world’s best fantasy and science fiction authors was in rare form with his incredible novel, Days of Shattered Faith, which serves as the third book in the author’s Tyrant Philosophers series.  A gritty and captivating novel that follows on from City of Last Chances and House of Open Wounds, both of which were amongst my favourite books of 2023 (with City of Last Chances being one of the best audiobooks of 2023), Days of Shattered Faith was an incredible fantasy read that continued to follow the dark expansion of an empire dedicated to perfection and correctness.  This time examining the dark side of diplomacy as a new city is rocked by war, revolution and conquest, Days of Shattered Faith was a very complex read that perfectly continues the series.  Easily one of Tchaikovsky’s better books, Days of Shattered Faith is a very worthy addition to this list and is really worth a read.

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Warhammer 40,000: Interceptor City by Dan Abnett

I had to include Interceptor City, the incredible new Warhammer 40,000 novel from Dan Abnett on this list.  The long-awaited sequel to his iconic novel Double Eagle, Interceptor City brings back Abnett’s fighter ace protagonist Bree Jagdea, as she is dragged out of retirement and into the carnage of war.  This time forced to fly deadly combat missions in the claustrophobic confines of a massive city, Interceptor City was a particularly impressive sequel that really highlights Abnett’s ability to write complex and gripping dogfights.  One of the more outstanding Warhammer novels of 2025, Interceptor City was Abnett at his best (which is saying something), and I could not get enough of this outstanding read.

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Nemesis by Gregg Hurwitz

Amazing thriller author Gregg Hurwitz may have presented one of his very best books this year with his 10th Orphan X novel, Nemesis.  Once again following the author’s complicated vigilante protagonist, Nemesis featured a moving and powerful story as the titular Orphan X is forced to face off against his best friend following the events of Lone Wolf.  A gripping battle of personalities, Nemesis was a very powerful read, and I’m still not over the book’s shocking ending.  An exceptional read that you won’t be prepared for.

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Usagi Yojimbo: The Crow by Stan Sakai

I doubt anyone is too surprised that I’ve featured the new Usagi Yojimbo comic by Stan Sakai, The Crow, on this list, as I have long championed the beauty and complexity of this series.  The latest volume, The Crow, had a great story as the protagonist teams up with several bounty hunters to bring down a notorious criminal, only to encounter tragedy and death.  A very compelling addition to the series, The Crow was so much fun to read and comes highly recommended.  I have so much love for this series, and I cannot wait to get the next volume, Ten Thousand Plums, which will likely also be a big release of 2025.

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The Devils by Joe Abercrombie

After several years out of the spotlight, the master of grim dark fantasy fiction, Joe Abercrombie, returns with a vengeance with The Devils.  The first book in a new series set in an alternate version of medieval Europe populated with monsters and magic, The Devils follows a group of monsters controlled by the church who are charged with keeping a street-thief alive and placing her on the throne of Troy as empress.  A particularly entertaining novel loaded with great characters, outrageous humour and constant carnage, The Devils was pure Joe Abercrombie goodness, and I loved every single second I spent reading it.

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Never Flinch by Stephen King

Another amazing book from the first half of 2025 I had to include was the new Stephen King novel, Never Flinch.  Once again bringing back his amazing protagonist Holly Gibney (Mr. Mercedes, The Outsider and Holly), Never Flinch sees the unlikely detective contend with two dangerous opponents, an obsessive serial killer and a relentless stalker.  A very compelling and dark character-driven crime fiction read, Never Flinch had an exceptional story behind it and I deeply enjoyed seeing how this elaborate tale unfolded.

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The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson

One of the more surprising entries on this list was the fantasy debut from author Anthonia Hodgson, The Raven Scholar.  A massive and addictive fantasy novel that sees a tournament to crown a new emperor disrupted by murder, conspiracy, and long-hidden secrets, The Raven Scholar was a particularly awesome read that I powered through a few days.  I had such an incredible time with The Raven Scholar, and I just had to feature it on this list.

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Nightshade by Michael Connelly

The final book on this list is the new Michael Connelly novel Nightshade.  Set on Catalina Island and featuring a new protagonist, Nightshade was an intricate and exciting murder mystery novel that combined dark island politics with several gritty murders.  A very strong book from Connelly that perfectly introduced his new protagonist and scenario, Nightshade is a very impressive read and one of the better books from the first half of 2025.

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Well, that’s the end of this latest list.  As you can see, I have already read some amazing and epic books so far in 2025 and we are only halfway through the year.  I am pretty happy with how this list turned out, and it will be interesting to see which of these books ends up being amongst my top reads of the year.  All the novels above come very highly recommended, and you are guaranteed to have a wonderful time reading them.  Let me know what your favourite releases for the first half of the year are in the comments below and make sure to check out my two most anticipated reads lists for the second half of 2025 (fantasy and science fiction and other).

Top Ten Tuesday – Novels from the First Half of 2025 that I still Need to Read

On By The Unseen LibraryIn ListLeave a comment

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics.  The official topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday was to return to a previous list you’ve done as part of a Throwback Freebie.  However, I decided to instead continue my literary examination of the first half of 2025 by looking at the top books from the first half of the year that I still need to read.

While I have already enjoyed a substantial number of outstanding books in 2025, there are still quite a few impressive novels from the first half of the year that I have yet to read.  Many of these were on my most anticipated books lists for 2025 (both fantasy and other), and while I was really excited for them, I have honestly not had a chance to check all of them out yet.  Therefore, I am going to use this freebie session to shame myself in the hope that it gets me into gear to finally check out these epic reads.  This proved to be an easy list to pull together, as many of these books have been weighing on my mind for a while.  All 10 novels below (plus honourable mentions) sound really, really good, and I hope I get the chance to read all of them soon.

Honourable Mentions:

Forged for Destiny by Andrew Knighton

A fun sounding fantasy novel about a hero whose chosen-one status isn’t what he thinks it is.

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Warrior by Simon Turney

The interesting sounding sequel to Turney’s 2024 novel Invader.  I failed to get a copy of Warrior earlier in the year, so I will have to see how I go continuing the series.

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Vanguard Strike by Jarom Strong

A very exciting science fiction debut that I’m hoping to read soon, especially as Strong already has a sequel to it coming out.

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The Venetian Heretic by Christian Cameron

An awesome historical thriller that I am going to try and grab a copy of soon, as it sounds particularly epic.

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Top Ten List:

The Book That Held Her Heart by Mark Lawrence

The first novel from the first half of 2025 that I want to talk about is The Book That Held Her Heart by Mark Lawrence.  The third and final entry in Lawrence’s Library trilogy, The Book That Held Her Heart will finish off the elaborate story of a war within a massive, impossible library that started in The Book that Wouldn’t Burn and continued in The Book That Broke the World.  I deeply enjoyed the first two books in this series, and I really want to finish Lawrence’s trilogy off.  Hopefully I will be able to fit The book That Held Her Heart into my reading schedule soon, as this is one of the biggest releases from the first half of the year I still need to read.

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Tyrant by Conn Iggulden

Another key book from early 2025 that I still need to read is the gripping Tyrant by historical fiction author Conn Iggulden.  The second book in the author’s Nero series, Tyrant will continue to follow the young life of the infamous emperor Nero, as he slowly rose to power in ancient Rome.  The first book in this series, Nero, was pretty damn good, and I cannot wait to continue Iggulden’s intriguing examination of this fascinating historical figure.  I’m hoping to get a copy of Tyrant soon, and I have no doubt this will be one of the better historical fiction books I read in 2025.

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The Medici Return by Steve Berry

One of the more surprising entries on this list is the new Cotton Malone novel from Steve Berry, The Medici Return.  In recent years I’ve made a real effort to read the new Steve Berry book each year, especially as the Cotton Malone novels feature cool thriller stories based around complex historical secrets and conspiracies.  Unfortunately, I just haven’t been able to fit The Medici Return into my 2025 reading schedule yet, which is a real shame as it has a very fun plot about the return of the legendary Medici of Florence, which could have massive impacts on modern day Italy.  Sure to be another complex and culturally rich story, The Medici Return is very high on my to-read list.

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Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky

I had really hoped to read the awesome new Adrian Tchaikovsky science fiction novel, Shroud, by this point in the year.  A complex and intense read about two people who find themselves trapped on the surface a truly inhospitable and completely dark alien planet, Shroud has a fascinating story about survival and alien contact.  I love the sound of this excellent science fiction novel, and I am determined to read Shroud in 2025.

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You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego

I was happy to receive a copy of You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego earlier this year, although I unfortunately haven’t had a chance to read it yet.  Featuring the fun concept of a group of mystery writer who find themselves trapped in an isolated manor with a dangerous killer, You Are Fatally Invited sounds like an incredible read, and one sure to be loaded with fun twists and complex turns.  I really intend to explore You Are Fatally Invited by the end of the year, and I look forward to seeing how it comes together.

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The Pilgrim’s Revenge by Scott Mariani

One of the more exciting novels from the first half of 2025 I still must read is The Pilgrim’s Revenge by Scott Mariani, an excellent and intense historical thriller that sees a farmer join Richard Lionheart’s crusade to get revenge on soldiers who killed his wife.  A very cool sounding revenge novel amongst a great historical setting, I am very keen to get my hands on The Pilgrim’s Revenge, although I may have to wait until it gets a paperback release in Australia later this year.

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A Song of Legends Lost by M. H. Ayinde

The next entry on this list is an ambitious and compelling fantasy debut that I had hoped to have read by now, A Song of Legends Lost.  A Song of Legends Lost is the excellent first novel from new author M. H. Ayinde, filled with war, rebellion and spirit magic.  I am still hoping to dive into this massive fantasy debut soon, and I cannot wait to see what impressive story Ayinde has started his writing career with.

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There Will be Bodies by Lindsey Davis

For the second year in a row, I am very behind in reading the new Flavia Albia book from Lindsey Davis, as I still haven’t enjoyed the latest book in the series, There Will be Bodies.  Following on from the previous entry in the series, Death on the Tiber, There Will be Bodies sees the ancient Roman detective protagonist attempt to solve a murder that occurred in the aftermath of the eruption of Vesuvius.  I love the awesome concept behind this book, and I am hoping to dive into this story soon.

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With a Vengeance by Riley Sager

One of the more intriguing novels of 2025 that I have yet to read is the fantastic historical crime fiction novel, With a Vengeance by Riley Sager.  A cool twist on the classic whodunnit, With a Vengeance sees an unforgiving woman’s plan to destroy the people responsible for her family’s downfall go off the rails when a mysterious killer starts to murder her targets while she is trapped on a train with them.  I love the sound of this complex and fun read, and I cannot wait to see how it all comes together.

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Warhammer 40,000: Hell’s Last by Justin D. Hill

The final book I want to highlight on this list is the cool Warhammer 40,000 novel, Hell’s Last by Justin D. Hill.  Set to once again follow the damaged members of the Cadian 101st as they continue to fight after the destruction of their planet, Hell’s Last sounds like an awesome piece of Warhammer 40,000 fiction from a very talented author.  I’ve been a little slack in not listening to Hell’s Last yet, especially as I usually instantly snap up every Warhammer 40,000 novel that comes my way.  Much of this is because I haven’t read the rest of the books in Hill’s Cadia series, which I might try and do first before diving into this latest entry in the series.

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Well, that is the end of this latest list.  As you can see, there are a bunch of exceptional novels from the first half of the year that I need to check out.  All the above books sound incredibly epic, and I am going to have to try a lot harder to start reading through them.  In the meantime, let me know which books released in the first half of the year you most regret not reading in the comments below.

Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Books Releasing During the Second Half of 2025 (Mystery, Thriller and Historical Fiction)

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Historical Fiction, List, Murder Mystery, Thriller7 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics.  In this list, I continue to examine my most anticipated releases for the second half of 2025.  While my other list of the night looked at the best upcoming fantasy and science fiction novels, this list will look at the crime fiction, thrillers, and historical fiction novels that I am most excited for in the next six months.

Just like with my previous article about upcoming fantasy and science fiction books, this was a bit of a difficult list to pull together.  Even after I excluded fantasy and science fiction novels from it, there were still a ton of great books I could feature, and I had a hard time deciding what to cut.  I was eventually able to whittle it down to a top ten list (with an honourable mentions section), and I am pretty happy with how it turned out.  Just like with my fantasy and science fiction list, the following list does a great job of highlighting what books I am most excited for in the second half of the year, so let us see what makes the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

The Stolen by Vikki Petraitis – 2 September 2025

An intriguing upcoming Australian crime fiction novel that will serve as a sequel to the author’s emotionally charged previous novel, The Unbelieved.  I was deeply impressed with The Unbelieved and I cannot wait to see how the series continues.

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Final Orbit by Chris Hadfield – 9 October 2025

A cool Cold War thriller from astronaut Chris Hadfield that will follow on from The Apollo Murders and The Defector.

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The Widow by John Grisham – 21 October 2025

An excellent new courtroom drama from legendary author John Grisham, The Widow has a very fun story behind it as a small-town lawyer finds himself on trial for the murder after trying to scam an elderly widow.

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Hotel Lucky Seven by Kotaro Isaka – 12 November 2025

The upcoming English translation of Hotel Lucky Seven from Japanese author Kotaro Isaka is something I am very keen to read, especially after having so much fun with his epic novels Bullet Train and Three Assassins.

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Top Ten List:

No Body No Crime by Tess Sharpe – 15 July 2025

After wowing me with the excellent young adult thrillers, The Girls I’ve Been and The Girl in Question, Tess Sharpe’s next cool book, No Body No Crime, is very high up my to-read list.  Set to follow two former lovers as they attempt to survive the consequences of a murder they committed when they were teenagers, this is likely to be another sharp, clever and moving thriller.  I have no doubt that No Body No Crime is going to be awesome, and I am hoping to read it soon.

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Two Kinds of Stranger by Steve Cavanagh – 24 July 2025

I love a good legal thriller, and few examples of this sub-genre are more entertaining or memorable than the Eddie Flynn books by Steve Cavanagh. I have had an outstanding time with novels like The Devil’s Advocate, The Accomplice and Witness 8, and I am always excited to see what new craziness Cavanagh has planned for his next courtroom escapades. Luckily, we don’t have too much longer to wait for the next upcoming book in the series, Two Kinds of Stranger, which will see an innocent client dragged into a legal nightmare when she tries to help a random stranger with dark secrets. I cannot wait to read this new book, and it should be particularly entertaining and compelling.

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The Final Vow by M. W. Craven – 12 August 2025

After absolutely loving the dark and twist laden novel The Mercy Chair last year (one of my favourite books of 2024), I am now a firm fan of all things M. W. Craven and I cannot wait to see his next epic read, The Final Vow. The new book in the author’s Washington Poe series, The Final Vow will see the series’ damaged detective and his unconventional investigation team attempt to stop a sniper terrorising the entire country. This amazing sounding book will likely be one of the very best mystery novels of 2025 and I am extremely excited to see how many complex twists and shocking turns Craven will load into this new book.

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The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown – 9 September 2025

Legendary author Dan Brown returns to his iconic Robert Langdon series, this time setting the series’ titular protagonist lose in Prague.  Set to see Langdon investigate a dark conspiracy rooted in the history of the city, The Secret of Secrets is going to be a pretty amazing novel, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the first Robert Langdon book released in years.

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Circle of Days by Ken Follett – 23 September 2025

Few big upcoming releases have me as excited as the new Ken Follett novel, Circle of Days, especially after absorbing the author’s addictive Kingsbridge novels, including The Evening and the Morning, A Column of Fire and The Armour of Light.  Once again diving into the history of England, Circle of Days will be an expansive, multi-character novel that will have the building on Stonehenge as its backdrop.  Sure to feature a lengthy narrative set over multiple years, Circle of Days is likely to be one of my favourite historical fiction books of 2025 and I am so very keen to read it.

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The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman – 25 September 2025

I am certain that this next book, The Impossible Fortune, is going to be the novel at the top of all my best-of lists later this year.  The next entry in Richard Osman’s exceptional Thursday Murder Club series, The Impossible Fortune will see the unlikely retiree protagonists attempt to solve a sinister crime at a wedding, with shenanigans and elaborate mystery to follow.  I have no doubt that The Impossible Fortune is going to be exceptional, especially after loving every second of The Thursday Murder Club (one of my favourite books, debuts and audiobooks of 2020),  The Man Who Died Twice (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021), The Bullet That Missed (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022) and The Last Devil to Die (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023), and I cannot wait to see what magic Osman weaves with this incredible upcoming book.

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Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson – 30 September 2025

One of the more entertaining novels coming out in the second half of 2025 is going to be the brilliant Australian thriller Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson.  The fourth book in the Ernest Cunningham series (Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone, Everyone on this Train is a Suspect, and Everyone this Christmas has a Secret), Everyone in this Bank is a Thief will once again place Stevenson’s insightful and unlucky protagonist at the site of another crime as he is forced to investigate a murder while trapped as a hostage in a bank robbery.  Blending classic murder mystery elements with a fun heist narrative, Everyone in this Bank is a Thief is going to be a hilarious read, and I cannot wait to check it out.

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The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly – 21 October 2025

The always reliable master of crime fiction, Michael Connelly, has another awesome book coming out in 2025 with The Proving Ground.  The next book in the author’s incredible Lincoln Lawyer series (which has previously featured books like The Law of Innocence and Resurrection Walk), The Proving Ground will team Mickey Haller with another Connelly protagonist, Jack McEvoy (the protagonist of books like Fair Warning), as he takes on a sinister AI company.  Likely to combine great legal elements with a complex thriller narrative, I have a feeling this is going to be one of Connelly’s better books, and I am very excited to get my hands on it. 

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Tyrant of Rome by Simon Scarrow – 6 November 2025

Another upcoming book that I am particularly excited for is the new Eagles of the Empire book from Simon Scarrow, Tyrant of Rome (cover yet to be released).  Scarrow’s second book in 2025 after A Death in Berlin, Tyrant of Rome will follow on from the previous Eagles of the Empire novel, Revenge of Rome, as the protagonists return to Rome after ending Boudica’s rebellion.  This time series protagonists Cato and Macro are dragged back into the excesses of Nero when they are chosen to take control of law and order in the city.  I love this interesting change of direction away from the brutal war stories of the last few books and it is going to be fun to dive into over-the-top Roman politics and the insanity of the emperor.

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Usagi Yojimbo: Ten Thousand Plums by Stan Sakai – 25 November 2025

The final entry on this list is one of my favourites with the next Usagi Yojimbo volume by Stan Sakai, Ten Thousand Plums.  The 41st volume of the Usagi Yojimbo comic series, Ten Thousand Plums should be another intense adventure loaded with great characters, awesome action, and vibrant artwork, as the protagonists are thrown into a dangerous conspiracy within a vital plum plantation personally protected by the Shogun.  This will be the second entry from the Usagi Yojimbo series released in 2025 following the impressive volume, The Crow, and if Ten Thousand Plums is just as good as it’s proceeding volume, then I am in for an exceptional time when I pick this comic up in November.

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Well, that’s the end of my second list.  As you can see, there are some outstanding mysteries, thrillers and historical fiction novels coming out in the next six months which should prove to be amazing reads.  Combine that with the fantasy and science fiction releases from my previous list and I know that I am going to have an incredible time in the second half of 2025.  While I am waiting to get my hands on these books, why not let me know if any of the above interest you and let me know what your most anticipated releases for the next six months are in the comments below.

Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Books Releasing During the Second Half of 2025 (Fantasy and Science Fiction)

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, List, Science Fiction7 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics.  For this latest Top Ten Tuesday participants need to list their top anticipated releases for the second half of 2025.  I am planning to do two versions of this list, one that will exclusively look at upcoming thrillers, crime fiction, historical fiction, and more, and this one that will focus on upcoming fantasy and science fiction books.

2025 has so far been a pretty amazing year for books (something I will cover in next week’s Top Ten Tuesday), with some outstanding and impressive novels coming out and blowing me away.  However, the year is far from over and there are so many incredible and epic-sounding novels set for release in the second half of 2025.  To fill out this list I have scoured my list of anticipated upcoming releases and tried to work out which of the books coming out between the start of July and the end of December I am most looking forward to.  I already have a couple of these books in advance, but I think it’s worth including them here, especially as I still need to make time to read them.

I had initially intended to only do a single list featuring all the genres, however, I ended up with way too many awesome upcoming novels on my radar.  So, to fairly feature them all, and to save myself from some hard decisions, I decided to split this post into two separate lists, starting with this one on fantasy and science fiction.  I still had to cut out several impressive upcoming releases, but I was a lot happier with how these lists turned out, especially as I was able to feature so many epic upcoming reads that I am going to have the most fun reading.  Due to how much potential that I think the entries on this list have, several have previously appeared in my weekly Waiting on Wednesday articles, as well as on my recent Winter TBR list.   So let us get to my selections and find out which upcoming novels are my most anticipated fantasy and science fiction releases for the second half of 2025.

Honourable Mentions

Seven Recipes for Revolution by Ryan Rose – 22 July 2025

A cool fantasy debut with an interesting cooking theme that I have had my eye on for a while.

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Katabasis by R. F. Kuang – 26 August 2025

A fantastic dive into academic hell from the acclaimed R. F. Kuang.

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King Sorrow by Joe Hill – 28 October 2025

A very interesting upcoming book from Joe Hill that will see a group of friends suffer the consequences of summoning a dragon.

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Warhammer 40,000: Voidscarred by Mike Brooks – announced for 2025

I’m very excited for the upcoming Warhammer novel by Mike Brooks that will set Aeldari Corsairs against Ork Freebooterz. Brooks is exceptional Warhammer 40,000 author, with books like Warboss, Da Big Dakka and The Lion: Son of the Forest really showcasing his talent, and I look forward to seeing this very fun upcoming book.

Top Ten List

Warhammer 40,000: Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok by Denny Flowers – 1 July 2025

There are several awesome Warhammer 40,000 novels still to come in 2025, but the one I’m currently most looking forward to is the epic novel Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok.  Written by the very talented Denny Flowers who has previously impressed me with books like Outgunned (one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels) and Above and Beyond (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2024), Grotsnik: Da Mad Dok has a ton of hilarious potential as it dives into the most insane and diabolical “medical” practitioner amongst the brutal orks.  I already know this is going to be a clever and very funny read (especially after seeing Flowers write ork characters in Da Red Gobbo Collection), and I cannot wait to see what insanity awaits in this cool upcoming book.

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Stone and Sky by Ben Aaronovitch – 8 July 2025

The always outstanding Ben Aaronovitch returns to his iconic Rivers of London series with the compelling upcoming Stone and Sky.  Part elaborate urban fantasy, part clever police procedural, Stone and Sky will see the series protagonist and his unusual family journey up to Scotland on a holiday, only to encounter a new supernatural mystery from the depths of the ocean.  Set to feature another amazing and addictive story told in Aaronovitch’s distinctive style, Stone and Sky will likely be one of the most captivating fantasy novels of 2025 and I look forward to continuing the series.

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Three Shattered Souls by Mai Corland – 15 July 2025

In the last year I have had an amazing time checking out the awesome fantasy novels of the Broken Blades trilogy by Mai Corland.  Following several dangerous killers as they are forced to pull off impossible missions for a power-hungry king, the first two books, Five Broken Blades and Four Ruined Realms, have set up an outstanding story with some brilliant characters.  Fans of this series will be getting a conclusion to the trilogy later this year with Three Shattered Souls, which should be particularly epic.  I cannot wait to see how Corland wraps everything up, and I already know I’m going to love it, especially in its elaborate audiobook format.

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The Last Soul Among Wolves by Melissa Caruso – 19 August 2025

Another great upcoming fantasy murder mystery novel I have my eye on is The Last Soul Among Wolves by Melissa Caruso.  The sequel to Caruso’s amazing 2024 novel, The Last Hour Between Worlds, The Last Soul Among Wolves will see the series protagonist caught in a cursed mansion during a doomed will reading.  Looking set to combine a classic murder mystery scenario with Caruso’s elaborate fantasy world, The Last Soul Among Wolves has a ton of potential and I cannot wait to check it out.

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Born of an Iron Storm by Anthony Ryan – 26 August 2025

One of my favourite fantasy authors, Anthony Ryan, returns with the second book in his awesome Age of Wrath trilogy, Born of an Iron Storm.  The amazing sound sequel to his 2024 novel, A Tide of Black Steel, Born of an Iron Storm will continue the elaborate adventures started in Ryan’s last book.  Set to once again feature a cool Norse-inspired setting, compelling characters, and all manner of plots and conspiracies, Born of an Iron Storm sounds pretty damn incredible and I have no doubt this is going to be one of the better fantasy releases of 2025.

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Cold War by Jonathan Maberry – 14 October 2025

The always impressive Jonathan Maberry continues to showcase his brilliant writing skills with Cold War, a fantastic upcoming follow-up to his 2024 dark science fiction novel, NecroTek.  Pitting human scientists and soldiers trapped far away in space against ancient cosmic horrors, Cold War should be another gripping read, especially as the humans are fighting back using their powerful, death-powered alien mechs.  Likely to be another particularly dark and haunting read, Cold War has the potential to be an incredible sequel, and I am very keen to check it out.

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The Blackfire Blade by James Logan – 23 October 2025

Last year I had the very great pleasure of reading the outstanding fantasy debut, The Silverblood Promise by James Logan.  An elaborate and compelling fantasy adventure that saw a young man travel to an unfamiliar city to try and uncover his father’s killer, The Silverblood Promise was an amazing read that blended cool worldbuilding with a great conspiracy storyline.  I had a ton of fun with this first book from Logan, and I have been quite eager to get my hands on the sequel for a while now.  Luckily, I only have to wait a few more months as Logan’s second book, The Blackfire Blade is one of the big fantasy releases of October.  Continuing to follow the protagonist’s quest to find clues related to his father’s murder, The Blackfire Blade takes the reader to another elaborate fantasy city within the same realm and forces the characters to uncover the new setting’s dark secrets to get what they want.  I have no doubt this is going to be an impressive book, and I cannot wait to see how Logan continues his amazing series.

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Our Lady of Blades by Sebastien de Castell – 6 November 2025

One of the more impressive fantasy novels coming out later this year is the very cool novel, Our Lady of Blades.  The next book in Sebastien de Castell’s The Court of Shadows series, Our Lady of Blades will be another standalone novel in the author’s Greatcoat universe, that will build on the previous novels Crucible of Chaos and Play of Shadows.  Our Lady of Blades will explore a new location in this universe and will feature a The Count of Monte Cristo inspired plot, as a mysterious masked duellist returns to a corrupt city to get justice and restore her family through any means necessary, all while the big conspiracy of the series continues to unfold.  Based on how exceptional the last two books in this series have been, I feel that Our Lady of Blades is going to be a top book of 2025, and it is one I am especially keen for.

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The Strength of the Few by James Islington – 11 November 2025

Probably the most anticipated book for fantasy fans coming out in the second half of 2025 is the elaborate and intriguing novel, The Strength of the Few by James Islington.  The sequel to Islington’s highly acclaimed The Will of the Many (one of my favourite books, audiobooks and Australian novels of 2023), The Strength of the Few, will continue to follow Islington’s compelling protagonist as he attempts to undermine the empire that destroyed his family, while uncovering the hidden secrets from the past.  However, this book looks set to be even more complex as different versions of the protagonist are split amongst three separate worlds, each of whom must face its own troubles and adventures.  I am extremely intrigued to see how this split narrative is going to work out but based on how damn exceptional The Will of the Many was, I have very little doubt this is going to be a particularly epic novel.

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Star Wars: Master of Evil by Adam Christopher – 11 November 2025

The final book that I want to highlight on this list is the impressive and character-focussed Star Wars tie-in novel, Master of Evil by Adam Christopher.  Set to follow Darth Vader during his early days as a Sith Lord, Master of Evil will provide some complex insights into this iconic villain’s mind as he attempts to uncover the true dark side of the Force.  With a very cool plot idea, and an even more awesome cover, Master of Evil has certainly caught my attention, and I cannot wait to see Christopher’s take on this legendary Star Wars character.

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