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

On June 26, 2025June 26, 2025 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.

Katabasis by R. F. Kuang – 26 August 2025

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels – June 2025

On June 10, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn List, Warhammer11 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. The official topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday focuses on Bookish Wishes, which, while interesting, isn’t something I felt I could contribute to. So instead I’m going to spend this week’s Top Ten Tuesday updating a regular list of mine where I highlight my absolute favourite Warhammer 40,000 tie-in novels.

Warhammer is a long-running extended universe that is based around a series of miniature table-top games. Started by Games Workshop decades ago, Warhammer in its various forms has a large and dedicated following to it, and there are several existing or defunct games associated with the franchise. The most iconic of these is the Warhammer 40,000 franchise which is set millennia in the future and details a grim-dark universe where multiple factions engage in massive wars and unique battles. Thanks to years of extended lore, there are a ton of Warhammer 40,000 books and comics out there, with a massive team of great authors contributing more and more to it all the time.

Due to how much I love this franchise and how many books I have been reading from it, around this time two years ago, I went out of my way to list my favourite Warhammer 40,000 books, which ballooned into a 20-entry feature. This proved to be a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed highlighting the top Warhammer 40,000 books I read, so much so that I updated it around a year ago. While I was happy with how these first two lists panned out, I was only really scratching the surface of this massive collection of fiction, as there are a ton of other epic Warhammer 40,000 books out there. I’ve spent the last year or so getting even further into this franchise, and I have read several additional awesome books, which includes some brand-new favourites. As such, I figured this would be a good time to update my previous list and feature even more epic pieces of Warhammer 40,000 fiction.

As with my previous list about Warhammer 40,000 fiction, I have loaded this entry up with my top 20 favourite books, including several great books I discovered in the last year. There are some amazing Warhammer 40,000 novels here, and it was interesting to see what new pieces of fiction made it onto the latest version of this list. I had some very hard decisions to make, and several books that I featured last time needed to be cut, which wasn’t easy to do. I did once again decide to compact several books from the same series (and written by the same author) into a single entry to increase variety, which I think worked out well. Overall, I’m very happy with how my Top 20 list turned out and there are so many exceptional and epic novels I would strongly recommend.

Top 20 List (no particular order):

Eisenhorn trilogy by Dan Abnett

Warhammer 40,000 - Xenos Cover

The first entry on this list is the iconic and epic Eisenhorn trilogy by legendary Warhammer author Dan Abnett. Generally considered one of the most influential authors of Warhammer fiction, Abnett has written several key series and novels in this canon and the Eisenhorn books are some of his finest work. Made up of Xenos, Malleus and Hereticus, this series follows the titular Inquisitor Eisenhorn who investigates several complex conspiracies while trying to keep the Imperium of Man safe. However, along the way he starts making dark compromises and deals to fight the forces of Chaos, which slowly corrupts him. Providing an outstanding mixture of elaborate stories, impressive characters and some epic moments, the Eisenhorn trilogy is damn near perfect, and I have had a wonderful time getting through it. Easily one of the best Warhammer series out there, the Eisenhorn novels are a must-read, and there is a reason why most fans recommend it as a brilliant starting Warhammer 40,000 fiction starting point.

Ghazghkull Thraka: Prophet of the Waaagh! by Nate Crowley

Ghazghkull Thraka - Prophet of the Waaagh! Cover

For readers looking for something a little less human-focussed, Ghazghkull Thraka: Prophet of the Waaagh! is the perfect book. A unique retelling of iconic ork character Ghazghkull Thraka’s origin story, this fantastic novel presents a powerful and instantly compelling story that shows a far deeper side to the ork boss and his followers. Crowley expertly utilises a series of distinctive perspectives to tell a particularly striking story, and I loved the fun combination of serious elements and humorous undertones. I had a brilliant time with this novel, and it ended up being one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022. Highly recommended, especially on audiobook due to the amazing team of talented narrators the recruited to voice it.

Assassinorum: Kingmaker by Robert Rath

Assassinorum Kingmaker Cover

Another Warhammer 40,000 novel from 2022 that topped my best of lists was the insanely good Assassinorum: Kingmaker by talented author Robert Rath. Following three ultra-elite assassins, Kingmaker showcases their mission to assassinate a king and bring a new era to a feudal Imperial Knight planet. The only problem is that their target is permanently bonded to a giant mecha, and there are far darker secrets hidden on the planet than they realised. This book was highly addictive from the very start, and I cannot emphasise how impressively amazing the narrative was. You really get attached to the major characters, and I loved all the epic mecha-on-mecha fights than ensued. A top read from one of the franchises fastest rising stars.

The Wraithbone Phoenix by Alec Worley

The Wraithbone Phoenix Cover

One of the things that I most love about Warhammer 40,000 fiction is the sheer range of different stories that can be featured in this universe. Probably the best example of this is the Warhammer Crime subseries that set a series of powerful crime fiction novels in a futuristic and corrupt Warhammer 40,000 city. The first one of these that I read was The Wraithbone Phoenix by Alec Worley, which features a fast-paced, crime thriller romp as several teams of over-the-top criminals fight to recover a mysterious McGuffin, the titular Wraithbone Phoenix. The story primarily focuses on the hilarious team of thieving ratling (a futuristic halfling/hobbit) and an enlightened Ogryn (ogre), who find themselves caught in the middle of the heist and hunted by everyone. Fun, intense and surprisingly moving, this was an amazing book, and readers should also check out Worley’s short audiobook, Dredge Runners, which serves as an exceptional prequel.

Storm of Iron by Graham McNeill

Storm of Iron Cover 2

From cool crime fiction to brutal sieges, my next entry is the awesome epic Storm of Iron by the legendary Graham McNeill. Storm of Iron is a powerful and intense read that chronicles a deadly futuristic siege of a legendary citadel by the Iron Warriors Chaos Space Marines, the galaxy’s most accomplished siege experts. What follows is a brutal and lengthy siege novel that sees both sides engage in a hellish campaign to try and survive. Cleverly showcasing both sides and providing some great context to the antagonists, this is a particularly fun book that is easily one of the best siege novels I have ever read.

Da Big Dakka by Mike Brooks

Da Big Dakka Cover

One of the more entertaining additions to this list is Da Big Dakka by Mike Brooks. Brooks is one of the most talented rising authors of Warhammer 40,000 fiction, especially with books like The Lion: King of the Forest and Huron Blackheart: Master of the Maelstrom. While I enjoy his serious work, my favourite book of his is Da Big Dakka. An intriguing and ultra-entertaining follow-up to his ork novels, Brutal Kunnin and Warboss, Da Big Dakka sets a deadly ork warband against the lethal Drukhari in a battle of wits, carnage and pain. Hilarious and clever from start to finish, I cannot recommend this book enough as it had me laughing all the way through.

Sinner’s Bounty by Joshua Reynolds

Kal Jerico - Sinner's Bounty Cover

There are many great Warhammer 40,000 novels on this list, but only one that I can truly blame for my current love of the franchise, and that’s Sinner’s Bounty by Joshua Reynolds. Set in the Necromunda sub-series/game, Sinner’s Bounty presents a whole new adventure from one of the franchise’s best characters, bounty hunter Kal Jerico, as he follows a notorious criminal into the darkest parts of the massive Necromunda hive city. A massively entertaining romp that features multiple teams of bounty hunters, an army of mutants, and all manner of monsters in the dark sewers of the city, Sinner’s Bounty is so much damn fun and I loved seeing my favourite character back in action. I hope we get more Kal Jerico books in the future, but in the meantime Sinner’s Bounty an amazing read that perfectly showcases one of the franchises best settings and protagonists.

The Infinite and The Divine by Robert Rath

The Infinite and the Divine Cover

Another outstanding novel from Robert Rath that I had to feature here is, The Infinite and The Divine. Focussed on two compelling and brilliant Necron characters, The Infinite and The Divine showcases the legendary feud between them as they spend thousands of years battling over a recovered artefact and its secrets. Devolving into quite a petty scrap at times, The Infinite and The Divine is one of the funniest and cleverest Warhammer 40,000 books out there as it makes excellent use of humour, intense lore, and some very serious moments to tell a unique and memorable tale. I had an exceptionally fun time with The Infinite and The Divine, and it is a fantastic novel for all Warhammer fans.

Gaunt’s Ghosts series – Dan Abnett

Warhammer 40,000 - Necropolis Cover

There was no way I could exclude Dan Abnett’s other iconic series, the Gaunt’s Ghosts books from this list. Generally considered one of the key pillars of Warhammer 40,000 fiction and essential reading for all newcomers to the franchise, the Gaunt’s Ghosts books follow the Tanith First and Only, a small regiment from a destroyed planet fighting for redemption in a deadly crusade. Containing great characters, compelling storylines, and a gritty examination of the common Imperial soldier’s life, the Gaunt’s Ghosts books are extremely captivating and I have had a great deal of fun with them. When I featured the Gaunt’s Ghosts books in this list last time, I had made some descent progress into the series with books like First and Only, Ghostmaker, Necropolis, Honour Guard and The Guns of Tanith, as well as the prequel novel, The Vincula Insurgency. I have since had the pleasure of reading another two books in the series with Straight Silver and Sabbat Martyr, both of which exceptional reads, especially as they really moved the overall narrative of the Gaunt’s Ghosts books along, while hitting the reader with some major tragedy. While I still have several more Gaunt’s Ghosts books to go, I can confidently say that this is one of the best Warhammer series out there and I would strongly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about this cool universe.

Lord of the Night by Simon Spurrier

Lord of the Night Cover

A classic Warhammer 40,000 novel that I have a lot of love for is the dark and compelling Lord of the Night by Simon Spurrier. A unique read that sees a lone Night Lords traitor Space Marine terrorise an entire giant city in the hunt for a legendary artefact, Lord of the Night is a complex, character driven novel that really dives into the villain’s perspective. Loaded with twists, compelling protagonists and a legendary game of cat and mouse, Lord of the Night is an outstanding read that I’m glad I got the chance to read.

Renegades: Lord of Excess by Rich McCormick

One of the things that I love about the Warhammer 40,000 franchise is the way in which the Black Library finds and encourages new authors, with several impressive writers making their overall debut with a cool Warhammer 40,000 book. One of the best recent examples of this was the outstanding novel, Renegades: Lord of Excess by new author Rich McCormick. A particularly intense and bonkers novel that follows members of the hedonistic Emperor’s Children Chaos Space Marines as they conquer a planet with the goal of making it perfect, Lord of Excess was fantastically over-the-top read that dove into the downsides of excess and obsession. One of my favourite books, audiobooks and debuts of 2024, Lord of Excess is so damn good, and I cannot wait to see what Rich McCormick writes next.

Double Eagle/Interceptor City by Dan Abnett

Dan Abnett’s domination of this list continues with the author’s exceptional dive into combat flying and aerial aces in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Spinning off from the Gaunt’s Ghosts books, Abnett wrote the impressive novel Double Eagle in 2004, which followed several pilots fighting in the same system-spanning war as the Tanith First and Only. A particularly gripping novel, Double Eagle made excellent use of it’s Battle of Britain themes and motifs by showing the impact that atmospheric fighter craft can have in an interstellar war and is probably one of Abnett’s best novels. However, the fun didn’t stop with Double Eagle, as Abnett recently released a long-awaited sequel, Interceptor City. A particularly powerful read that followed the long-retired protagonist of Double Eagle as she is dragged back into combat, Interceptor City was another exceptional read, that took the awesome aerial combat from the first book and cranked it all the way up to 11. Both books are incredible, and I can already tell you that Interceptor City is going to end up being one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2025.

Ciaphas Cain series by Sandy Mitchell

Warhammer 40,000 - For the Emperor Cover

Last year I made sure to highlight the amazing first novel in the Ciaphas Cain series, For the Emperor by Sandy Mitchell, which I stated was one of the funniest Warhammer novels I have had the pleasure of reading. However, I was only just scratching the surface of the long-running and beloved Ciaphas Cain series which follows the adventures of Commissar Ciaphas Cain, who is either one of the Imperium’s greatest heroes or a manipulative coward who actively tries to avoid combat, only to end up in even worse situations. Mitchell paints a pretty hilarious picture around this scenario, and the result is a series of spectacular and side-splittingly funny novels. I have had a ton of fun getting through several more books in the series, with books like Caves of Ice, The Traitor’s Hand, Death or Glory, Duty Calls, Cain’s Last Stand and The Emperor’s Finest proving to be extremely awesome. I still have several more entries to go in this series I can’t wait to see all the fantastic and entertaining ways that Cain will run into trouble in the future books.

The Fall of Cadia by Robert Rath

Warhammer 40,000 - The Fall of Cadia Cover

Robert Rath makes yet another appearance on this list with his latest novel, The Fall of Cadia. A truly epic read that recounts the dire events of the canon-changing, Imperium wrecking, final battle of the 13^th Black Crusade, The Fall of Cadia is a remarkable book that Warhammer 40,000 fans will not be able to put down. Filled with massive battles, unique moments, and so many larger-than-life characters, The Fall of Cadia perfectly captures one of the more essential moments in recent Warhammer 40,000 lore. Rath is really proving himself to be one of the absolute best authors of Warhammer fiction, as The Fall of Cadia ended up being one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023.

Outgunned and Above and Beyond by Denny Flowers

While Denny Flowers’ first book, Fire Made Flesh, was a great Necromunda novel, it pales in comparison to his Lucille von Shard novels. Another cool series that focusses on a flying ace, the Lucille von Shard novels are a very different collection of Warhammer 40,000 books as they look at the dark side of the lies, propaganda and badly run wars that are rife within the Imperium. The series started with the amazing novel Outgunned which follows an Imperial propaganda specialist who arrives on a swampy battlefield to film inspiration footage of a legendary fighter pilot as she battles an ork invasion, only to discover that his preferred subject is an arrogant drunkard, and everyone is dying for a corrupted planet. A brilliant and intense novel that not only featured a ton of great aerial combat, but which also dives into some very dark places that shows just how far humanity has fallen in the far future Outgunned was such a great read, and Flowers exceeded himself last year with the excellent sequel Above and Beyond. Once again following the damaged protagonists of the first book as they find themselves locked in a dark conspiracy of alien lies and deadly propaganda, Above and Beyond was an exceptional read, and one that highlights Denny Flowers as one of the most impressive rising authors of Warhammer 40,000 fiction.

Flesh and Steel by Guy Haley

Flesh and Steel Cover

The Warhammer Crime hits keep on coming with Flesh and Steel by renowned author Guy Hayley. This compelling read acts a bit of an odd-couple, buddy cop story when two very different detectives are forced to team up to investigate a dismembered body left across a city border. Mixing some fantastic comedy with some pretty dark and horrific elements, Flesh and Steel provided one of the best character-focused stories in the Warhammer Crime range and I was deeply impressed with how everything unfolded. A key Warhammer Crime read and one that I have a great deal of affection for.

Dead Men Walking by Steve Lyons

Dead Men Walking Cover

Another book that highlight’s the unique human soldiers of the Warhammer 40,000 universe is the moving and tragic novel, Dead Men Walking by Steve Lyons. Featuring a battle between two unrelenting foes, Dead Men Walking pitted the Death Korps of Krieg against the Necrons in a brutal, all-out war with no true winners. Cleverly told from the perspective of the poor unfortunates caught in the middle of the fighting, Dead Men Walking is an outstanding and dire novel that really highlights how desperate the Warhammer 40,000 universe can be. The book that cemented Lyons as the master of the Death Korps of Krieg (check out his other novels Krieg and Siege of Vraks), Dead Men Walking was a dark riot from start to finish that will stick with you for a very long time.

Day of Ascension by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Day of Ascension Cover

A great example of the impressive talent that this franchise attracts can be seen in the 2022 novel, Day of Ascension, written by highly renowned author Adrian Tchaikovsky, making his Warhammer debut. Day of Ascension was a short and sweet novel which sets the robotic and callus Adeptus Mechanicus against a revolution started by a dangerous Genestealer Cult. Featuring Tchaikovsky’s flair for highlighting alien mindsets and cultures, there are some very clever divergent perspectives in this novel, and I loved diving into the distinctive minds of two very different types of human hybrids. Successfully introducing a great talent to the franchise, Day of Ascension is a brilliant read and one that I had an epic time with.

Titanicus by Dan Abnett

While I know that I’ve overdosed this list with Dan Abnett entries, I had no choice but to also include the awesome read Titanicus, which I had the pleasure of reading earlier this year. Also set around the same conflict featured in the Gaunt’s Ghosts books, Titanicus sees an important Forge World invaded by a traitor Titan force, determined to destroy it. When reinforcements from a crusading Imperial Titan regiment arrives to repel the invaders, all out Titan warfare erupts on the planet as the giant god machines of the grimdark future engage in planet shaking combat. A particularly impressive novel that showcases a destructive, planet-wide war on multiple fronts, Titanicus is one of the definitive novels about the Titan legions in Warhammer 40,000 fiction, and I cannot recommend this additional Abnett novel enough.

Bloodlines by Chris Wraight

Warhammer 40,000 - Bloodlines Cover

The final entry on this list is the insanely good Warhammer Crime novel, Bloodlines by Chris Wraight. Following a cynical, veteran detective as he is dragged into a problematic missing person’s case, Bloodlines soon devolves into a hard tale of rich privilege and gangster violence as the protagonist refuses to stop investigating a crooked corporation. Probably one of the best pure crime fiction novels in this range, I loved the clever conclusion to the narrative and Bloodlines is an outstanding read, and one I am particularly keen for a sequel for (the protagonist has some dark secrets that need to come into the light). Highly recommended.

And that’s the end of my list. All 20 of the above books/series come very highly recommended, and each of them would make an excellent addition to any budding Warhammer 40,000 fan’s collection. I really loved that I was able to update this awesome list with several new books, and I have no doubt I will have even more to add next year when I update it again, especially as there are some great Warhammer 40,000 books coming out in 2025. I hope I’ve inspired at least one reader to embark on a Warhammer 40,000 adventure, and you honestly won’t be disappointed.

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

On May 27, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn List4 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. The official Top Ten Tuesday topic for this week involved fictional animal companions, which, while interesting, isn’t something I felt I could contribute to, and I am instead going to use this post to look at some upcoming books. This is because today is the first Tuesday before Winter 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 Winter (Summer 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 June 2025 and 31 August 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:

Forged for Destiny by Andrew Knighton – 24 June 2025

An entertaining fantasy novel that will present a new take on the classic chosen-one story.

The Bone Raiders by Jackson Ford – 12 August 2025

Bone-covered, grassland raiders attempting to train giant, fire-breathing lizards as their new mounts, what’s not to love?

The Hungry Gods by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 12 August 2025

An intriguing new novel from one of the best modern authors of science fiction and fantasy.

Once a Villain by Vanessa Len- 19 August 2025

The epic conclusion to a great young adult fantasy series by Australian author Vanessa Len, Once a Villain will complete the tale started in Only a Monster and Never a Hero.

Top Ten List:

Hard Town by Adam Plantinga – 10 June 2025

First up we have the awesome sounding thriller Hard Town by Adam Plantinga. The sequel the amazing and brutal 2024 debut, The Ascent, Hard Town sounds like another impressive and over-the-top thriller and I really cannot wait to get my hands on it.

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.

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.

No Body No Crime by Tess Sharpe – 15 July 2025

A great new thriller from the talented Tess Sharpe, whose previous two books, The Girls I’ve Been and The Girl in Question, were so much fun. Sharpe’s new novel, No Body No Crime will follow two young female protagonists as they face off against a dangerous crime family and the consequences a murder they committed while teenagers. I already love No Body No Crime’s awesome story and I’m hoping to read this one soon.

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.

Badlands by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child – 17 July 2025

After absolutely loving my first Douglas Preston novel, Extinction, last year, I’m extremely keen to see his next novel, this time written with his long-time collaborator Lincoln Child. Their new book, Badlands, will continue the authors’ Nora Kelly series and will see the titular archaeologist protagonist investigate several mysterious and disturbing deaths connected by ancient artifacts the victims were holding as they died. Set to be an extremely fun and memorable thriller with potential supernatural implications, Badlands will be a great book to check out and I cannot wait to see how crazy the story gets.

Seven Recipes for Revolution by Ryan Rose – 22 July 2025

An intriguing 2025 fantasy debut that I have had my eye on for a long time, Seven Recipes for Revolution will see a young outcast attempt to become a magical chef, only for his culinary creation to turn him into a giant kaiju. Set to combine exciting magic and unique fantasy elements with intrigue and betrayal, Seven Recipes for Revolution sounds extremely unique, and I cannot wait to see Rose’s first literary offering.

Two Kinds of Stranger by Steve Cavanagh – 29 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.

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

After absolutely loving the dark and twist laden novel The Mercy Chair last year, I am a major 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.

Katabasis by R. F. Kuang – 26 August 2025

The final upcoming book I want to highlight in this TBR post is the complex and fantastic sounding Katabasis by R. F. Kuang. A very intriguing novel from an author who specialises in memorable fantasy scenarios, Katabasis will see two magical academics travel to hell to save their professor’s soul after accidently killing him. Likely to be one of the most inventive books of the year, Katabasis is a very worthy book to end this list on, and I have some very high hopes for it.

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 That Feature Travel

On May 21, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn List2 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 week’s Top Ten Tuesday, participants are encouraged to list their favourite ten books that feature travel in them. While this guiding topic could reference a lot of different things, I’m choosing to interpret it as books where the participants are required to go on long journeys away from home, possibly in a quest-like manner, or novels where the act of traveling is essential to the plot. As such, my list is filled with a fair amount of fantasy and science fiction, with a few other interesting entries as well. I actually came up with quite a few potential choices for this list, but I was eventually able to whittle it down into a compelling Top Ten list alongside my usual generous Honourable Mentions section. So let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

A classic young adult fantasy tale where the protagonist travels far from home to discover his destiny.

Amazon

Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio

Vast intergalactic journeys are the order of the day in this brilliant science fiction read.

Trollslayer by William King

An awesome collection of connected tales, where the two protagonists journey all over the Warhammer Fantasy world looking for trouble.

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

One of the funnier entries on this list. How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying was a great book that saw a young woman repeatedly journey across a fantasy land to become the next dark lord.

Top Ten List:

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

A very easy place to start is with the works of J. R. R. Tolkien whose books were all about epic quests and long journeys. While all three books in The Lord of the Rings trilogy would have worked here, I’m going with the original classic, The Hobbit, that saw a very brave hobbit journey across Middle Earth on a grand adventure.

Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett

From Tolkien to Pratchett, I’m starting this list off with some real fantasy fiction heavyweights. Terry Pratchett was another author whose stories often featured grand quests across the titular Discworld, even though his protagonists were often a lot more reluctant to go on them. There were quite a few different Discworld books I could have featured here (as well as some of Pratchett’s standalone novels like Strata or The Carpet People), however, I’m going to go with one of my favourites, Witches Abroad, which fits the travel theme extremely well. Following three of Pratchett’s witch protagonists as they go on an extended holiday to a fairy-tale plagued city, Witches Abroad is a very funny read and one of the better Discworld books.

Hawk Quest by Robert Lyndon

Moving outside of fantasy fiction for a bit we have the epic historical fiction novel Hawk Quest by Robert Lyndon. A massive adventure novel, Hawk Quest follows an eclectic group of protagonists in the 11^th century as they transport rare hawks to the Holy Land to serve as ransom for an imprisoned knight. Requiring a trek across medieval Europe, Hawk Quest is a brilliant novel that is all about travelling impossible distances.

Magician by Raymond E. Feist

I just had to feature the outstanding classic fantasy read Magician by Raymond E. Feist on this list, which sees all its protagonists embark on great adventures across Feist’s fantasy realms. All the key characters engage in some massive travels in this novel via ship, horseback and more, including the main protagonist who journeys to a whole other fantasy dimension and back again, just to hammer home how important travel is for this outstanding read.

Artifact Space by Miles Cameron

To mix things up a bit I had to include the cool science fiction novel, Artifact Space by Miles Cameron. While quite a few of Cameron’s books features lengthy quests or travelling great distances (such as his novel Dark Forge), I decided to go with Artifact Space as it probably features the furthest distance travelled as the protagonist embarks on a massive trade ship going to the edge of known human space. An ambitious and compelling read, Artifact Space is an excellent novel where the protagonists end up going so very far away from home.

Streams of Silver by R. A. Salvatore

Another author whose books often feature grand journeys is legendary fantasy writer R. A. Salvatore. I was honestly spoiled for choice when it came to Salvatore’s books, as so many are travel-focused, but in the end, I went with Streams of Silver. The second book in the Icewind Dale trilogy, Streams of Silver sees Salvatore’s entertaining party of protagonists leave on a quest to recover the legendary Mithril Halls, traversing all manner of fantasy landscape along the way. A classic fantasy adventure with a ton of travel, Streams of Silver is a very worthy addition to this list.

Bullet Train by Kōtarō Isaka

For something a little different I decided to include the cool thriller Bullet Train by Japanese author Kōtarō Isaka. Set aboard a moving bullet train, this fun book sees several dangerous killers attempt to outfox each other before the train arrives at its final deadly destination. I think the constant moving train and the ticking clock as it gets closer to the end of the line qualify this thriller nicely as a book containing travel, and I honestly had a ton of fun getting through both the Bullet Train novel, and its entertaining movie adaptation.

The Bone Ships by R. J. Barker

Nothing says epic travel more than a group of condemned criminals navigating a ship made of bone across a deadly ocean to hunt down a sea dragon. The always impressive R. J. Barker makes this insane concept work extremely well with some of the very best fantasy nautical scenes you are likely to read. A truly incredible novel that you will not be able to put down.

The Falcon of Sparta by Conn Iggulden

Going back to history we have the fantastic read The Falcon of Sparta from amazing author Conn Iggulden. Loosely based on the Anabasis by Xenophon, The Falcon of Sparta follows ten thousand Greek mercenaries and camp followers who attempt to escape Persia by land back to Greece following the Battle of Cunaxa. An awesome book that makes use of one of history’s most unlikely journeys.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

The final book I want to feature on this list is the complex space adventure Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. Following a lone scientist sent to another star system to find a way to stop the sun from dimming, Project Hail Mary features a darker, yet highly compelling take on a travel narrative that is extremely impressive and addictive. A truly exceptional read, this was a great novel to end this list on, and I cannot recommend it enough.

And that’s the end of this latest Top Ten list. As you can see, I’ve had the pleasure of reading some really great books that feature amazing travel elements, and this Top Ten list is only just scratching the surface of the novels I could talk about. I’m pretty happy with how this latest list turned out and I look forward to seeing what other travel-focused books people want to recommend in the comments below.

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

On March 5, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn List2 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. The official Top Ten Tuesday topic for this week involved character quotes, which, while interesting, isn’t something I felt I could contribute to, and I am instead going to use this post to look at some upcoming books. This is because today is the first Tuesday of Autumn 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 Autumn (Spring 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 March 2025 and 31 May 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 my most anticipated books of 2025 lists (fantasy and science fiction and other genres), 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:

Pacific Heights by S. R. White – 25 March 2025

An interesting murder mystery novel about multiple witnesses seeing the same murder in different ways from one of the more unique authors of Australian crime fiction.

Whisper in the Wind by Luke Arnold – 29 April 2025

An excellent new urban fantasy novel from Australian author Luke Arnold.

Tyrant by Conn Iggulden – 27 May 2025

One of my favourite historical fiction authors, Conn Iggulden, presents an awesome sequel to his 2024 novel Nero.

The Malevolent Eight by Sebastien de Castell – 27 May 2025

An exciting sequel to the hilarious fantasy novel The Malevolent Seven by Sebastien de Castell.

Top Ten List:

Burn to Shine by Jonathan Maberry – 4 March 2025

First up we have the next entry in one of my favourite series with Burn to Shine by Jonathan Maberry. The fourth book in the Rogue Team International series and the 14^th overall Joe Ledger book, Burn to Shine follows on from some outstanding books including Rage (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2019), Relentless (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021), and Cave 13 (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023). This latest Joe Ledger novel sounds particularly awesome, as the protagonist and his high-tech organisation will have to face off against various enemies and dangers from their past. I cannot wait to see how Maberry pulls this book together and I have a feeling it is going to be a particularly dark, if key, entry in the Rogue Team International series.

The White Fortress by Boyd and Beth Morrison – 6 March 2025

Next, we have the awesome historical fiction thriller, The White Fortress by the sibling team of Boyd and Beth Morrison. The third book in the Tales of the Lawless Land series (which previously featured The Lawless Land and The Last True Templar), The White Fortress will continue to follow two awesome protagonists, an excommunicated knight and his brilliant wife, as they become embroiled in deadly conspiracies across medieval Europe. This latest Tales of the Lawless Land book finds the protagonists in historic Croatia, attempting to stop a conquering warlord by uncovering the legacy of Marco Polo. I have deeply enjoyed the previous entries in the series, both of which have been outstanding historical thrillers, and I cannot wait to see how this great writing team will showcase medieval Croatia and its secrets.

A Death in Berlin by Simon Scarrow – 11 March 2025

One of my favourite historical fiction authors, Simon Scarrow, has another cool book coming out next week with the intense World War II thriller A Death in Berlin. Following on from the previous entries in the series, Blackout and Dead of Night, A Death in Berlin will continue to follow the last honourable detective in Nazi controlled Berlin as he attempts to investigate controversial crimes his superiors are covering up. This latest book will see the protagonist face off against Berlin gangsters and their powerful Nazi patrons and should be another bleak and intense read. I always have so much fun with Scarrow’s books, and this sounds like an awesome addition to a great series.

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzane Collins – 18 March 2025

I had to include the epic new Hunger Games book from Suzzane Collins, Sunrise on the Reaping, which has really caught my attention thanks to its cool premise and connection to the excellent Hunger Games books and films. The second Hunger Games prequel novel (the other being A Ballard of Songbirds & Snakes), Sunrise on the Reaping will be a dark novel that follows the younger version of a fan favourite character as he participates in the largest and most brutal Hunger Games. This book has so much potential, and I cannot wait to see how Collins’ sets out this latest entry in her iconic series.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi – 25 March 2025

The always entertaining John Scalzi (Redshirts, The Kaiju Preservation Society and Starter Villain), returns with another hilarious and satirical science fiction novel that will pose an interesting hypothetical scenario; what if the moon turned into a cheese-like substance? Set to follow multiple people across the world impacted by this phenomenon, When the Moon Hits Your Eye has one of the more unique plot ideas of 2025, and I cannot wait to see how it turns out.

A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackon Bennett – 8 April 2025

The next book on this list is the impressive and awesome upcoming fantasy novel, A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett. The sequel to Bennett’s incredible novel, The Tainted Cup (one of my favourite books of 2024), A Drop of Corruption will bring back the author’s outstanding duo of detectives as they investigate impossible crimes in a magical nation constantly besieged by giant monsters. The first book in this series was quite exceptional, and I have very high hopes for this sequel as Bennett has come up with another cool mystery that will no doubt have wider implications for the entire nation. A book with a very high ceiling that I know I will love!

The Devils by Joe Abercrombie – 6 May 2025

There are few novels out in recent years that I have been as eager to read as The Devils by legendary fantasy author Joe Abercrombie. The first new book from Abercrombie since he finished his Age of Madness trilogy (A Little Hatred, The Trouble with Peace and The Wisdom of Crowds), The Devils will set up a new series in an alternate, monster-filled version of medieval Europe. Set to follow a hapless priest who will lead the worst of the worst in a daring mission to save the world from a coming apocalypse, The Devils sounds extremely cool, and I am curious to try a series from the author outside of his Third Law universe. Based on how exceptional Abercrombie has been in the past, I already know that The Devils is going to be an epic grimdark read, and I cannot wait to see what outrageous scenarios and elaborate characters will populate this incredible upcoming book.

Nightshade by Michael Connelly – 20 May 2025

One of the world’s best crime fiction authors, Michael Connelly, is spoiling us this year with the cool murder mystery Nightshade. Nightshade introduces readers to a new Connelly protagonist, Detective Sitwell, a burnt-out cop forced out town and stationed on the beautiful Catalina Island away from trouble. When he discovers a body dumped in the island’s harbour, Sitwell embarks on a dogged investigation to find the truth, no matter who he upsets. I have been having an incredible time reading Connelly’s books in recent years, and I am very excited to see how this new novel unfolds, especially if Sitwell becomes a recurring protagonist in Connelly’s wider universe.

Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me by Django Wexler – 27 May 2025

Last year I had the very great pleasure of reading the hilarious fantasy novel, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying. This fantastic novel followed an unhinged protagonist trapped in a time loop within a fantasy world who, after centuries of torture, decides to stop trying to be the realm’s saviour and instead becomes its new dark lord. Thanks to its cool scenario, comedic protagonist, and over-the-top story elements, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me was a very awesome book to read, and I had an amazing time getting through its fun plot. As such, I am extremely excited to read the sequel coming out this year, Everybody Wants to Rule Except Me, which will see the protagonist try to save the humans of the realm from an army of monsters she’s leading. Sure to be another amazing send-up of heroes and villains in fantasy fiction, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me will likely be one of the funniest books I read in 2025, and I am very excited to explore its outrageous story.

Never Flinch by Stephen King – 27 May 2025

The final book in this list has the potential to be one of the very best of the year with Never Flinch by the legendary Stephen King. Set to bring back one of King’s more unique protagonists, unlikely investigator Holly Gibney, Never Flinch will serve as a continuation of the protagonist’s storylines from Mr. Mercedes (and its sequels), The Outsider and Holly. This new book will see Holly face off against both a deadly killer and a deranged stalker, as she finds herself drawn into a new dark web. I have no doubt that Never Flinch is going to be exceptional and should end up topping my best of 2025 book lists.

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, and frankly this might be one of the strongest three-month periods in 2025. Each of the above should be extremely epic, 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 few books to get through soon and they should all be awesome.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Australian Books of 2024

On January 29, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, List5 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 week’s Top Ten Tuesday participants were supposed to list the top new-to-them authors they read in 2024. However, as this was a topic I did a few weeks ago, I’m instead going to put together an alternate list today. The reason for this is because last Sunday, 26 January, was Australia’s national holiday, Australia Day. While Australia Day is getting controversial due to its historical implications, I like to look beyond that and instead focus on some of the amazing and varied writing talents Australia produces. As such, I once again took this opportunity to highlight some of the top pieces of fiction written by Australian authors in 2024.

Each year, a ton of talented Australian authors produce an impressive and exciting range of fiction from across the genres, many of which I am lucky enough to get copies of from my local publishers. Due to this, I tend to read and review a lot of novels by Australian authors, most of which turn out to be some outstanding reads that I deeply enjoy. As such, for the last few years I have taken to highlighting my favourite pieces of Australian fiction, which is something I really look forward to each Australia Day (check out my 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022and 2023 lists).

I really love how much awesome Australian fiction there is each year, and this list is the perfect way to highlight some of the best Australian authors. Now 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. To qualify for this list, a novel had to be released in 2024 and be written by an Australian author, which I am defining as anyone born in Australia or who currently lives here (Australia is very good at adopting talented people as our own). This resulted in a long list, and I was eventually able to whittle this novel down to the absolute cream of the crop and came up with a fantastic top ten list (with my typical generous honourable mentions). I really enjoyed how this list turned out, especially as it features novels from a range of different genres, all of which were very awesome Australian books.

Honourable Mentions:

Body of Lies by Sarah Bailey

A compelling and occasionally weird Australian murder mystery from the brilliant author of The Housemate.

The Heart of the World by Amie Kaufman

The excellent sequel to Amie Kaufman’s young adult fantasy novel, The Isles of the Gods.

The Winter Palace by Paul Morgan

A gripping historical drama from Australian author Paul Morgan that follows the separate struggles of a Polish husband and wife separated during World War II.

The Chilling by Riley James

A fantastic thriller that sees an Australian research team travelling to Antarctica forced to deal with dark secrets and dangerous elements. One of the top debuts of 2024.

Top Ten List:

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson

Australian author Benjamin Stevenson continued to impress in 2024 with his Ernest Cunningham series, as he released the third entry Everyone this Christmas has a Secret. A fantastic Christmas special that follows on from Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone and Everyone on this Train is a Suspect, Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret was another compelling and highly entertaining read that blends clever mystery with the author’s excellent humour and some fun holiday themes.

The Ghosts of Autumn by Peter Watt

The master of Australian historical fiction had another stellar year with the latest book in the Colonial series, The Ghost of Autumn. Set amongst the carnage of World War I, The Ghosts of Autumn continues to follow a family caught up in every historical struggle of the 19^th and 20^th century, and I really enjoyed seeing how Watt brought this sixth book together.

Devil’s Kitchen by Candice Fox

One of Australia’s top thriller authors, Candice Fox, had an outstanding 2024, releasing three separate books. The first of these books from Fox that I want to highlight is the brilliant and dark thriller, Devil’s Kitchen. Following an undercover agent tasked with infiltrating a crew of firefighters who moonlight as murderous thieves, Devil’s Kitchen was a particularly intense read loaded with complex characters forced to make hard decisions. I deeply enjoyed this amazing book, and it really highlights Fox’s ability to write nuanced and complex narratives.

Endgame by Sarah Barrie

One of the more intense and shocking Australian novels of last year was the deeply impressive Endgame. The final entry in Sarah Barrie’s Lexi Winter series (Unforgiven, Retribution and Vendetta), Endgame sees the series’ titular protagonist finally face down her monstrous nemesis in a deadly game of cat and mouse. Barrie takes Endgame to some dark places, and I cannot recommend this thrilling novel, and indeed the entire Lexi Winter series, enough.

White Ash Ridge by S. R. White

Author S. R. White continued to produce some of the more distinctive pieces of Australian crime fiction with the addictive White Ash Ridge. The follow-up to the author’s previous novels, Prisoner and Red Dirt Road, White Ash Ridge sees White’s main protagonist, Detective Dana Russo, investigate a murder at an isolated bush hotel. However, things get problematic when it is revealed that the victim and all the potential suspects are board members for a prominent anti-police organisation. White Ash Ridge was such a clever read, and I loved its outstanding mystery and focused character-examination of the various suspects. Highly recommended.

Dark Arena by Jack Beaumont

One of my favourite sequels of 2024 was the fantastic spy thriller Dark Arena by recently adopted Australian author and former French spy Jack Beaumont. Following on from the author’s debut, The Frenchman, Dark Arena sees Beaumont’s team of spies become involved in another elaborate operation, the result of which could impact all of Europe. Beaumont provides another intense and highly realistic examination of espionage in this sequel, and I loved the epic and captivating narrative that emerges in Dark Arena.

The Youngest Son by John Byrnes

An excellent historical novel from John Byrnes, who presented a fantastic read in a different style from his debut novel Headland. The Youngest Son follows three children from the same lower-class Australian family who are forced to endure multiple hardships in 1930’s Sydney. Featuring crime, murder, betrayal, war, love and redemption, The Youngest Son was a really great book from Byrnes that had me hooked the entire way through.

High Wire by Candice Fox

The second book from Candice Fox that I want to feature on this list is the gritty Australian thriller High Wire. Set on a dangerous hidden road that traverses the length of Australia, High Wire sees two damaged protagonists kidnapped by a vengeful gang who strap bomb vests to them. Forced to commit a series of violent crimes across the outback, High Wire envisions a brilliantly intense, high-stakes scenario that Fox expertly utilises and explores. A very memorable and over-the-top read, High Wire was another excellent book from Candice Fox that I couldn’t get enough of. Readers should also check out the third 2024 Fox novel, The Murder Inn, which she cowrote with James Patterson.

The Death of Dora Black by Lainie Anderson

One of the more entertaining Australian novels of the year was the fun historical crime fiction read The Death of Dora Black. Set around a fascinating historical figure, The Death of Dora Black sees the iconic and strict Miss Kate Cocks, the first policewoman in the British Empire, stride throughout 1917 Adelaide attempting to solve the suspicious death of a young shop assistant. A clever blend of history and mystery with some real heart to it, The Death of Dora Black was an outstanding book that will appeal to a wide range of readers.

The Wrong Man by Tim Ayliffe

The final book I want to feature on this list is the fifth John Bailey novel from Tim Ayliffe, The Wrong Man. Following on from The Greater Good, State of Fear, The Enemy Within and Killer Traitor Spy, The Wrong Man was another compelling murder mystery, this time exploring a series of brutal murders across Sydney. With a great plot, compelling mystery and a fantastic trio of perspective characters, The Wrong Man was a strong read from one of Australia’s best crime fiction authors.

Well, that is the end of this latest list, and I am really happy that I got a chance to highlight some of the best Australian releases of 2024. The above books represent an outstanding collection of fiction from talented Australian authors, and each of them comes highly recommended by me. I had a lot of fun coming up with this list and I cannot wait to find out what the best Australian books of 2025 are going to be. Until then, stay tuned for more epic reviews and lists, and make sure you let me know who your favourite Australian authors are in the comments below.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Debuts of 2024

On January 21, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn List14 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. The official topic for this week involved listing the 10 latest additions to your bookshelf, which while interesting, is something I’ll probably be covering in my next book haul post. Instead, for this week I am going to continue listing some of my favourite books of 2024 (make sure to check out my previous lists that highlighted my favourite sequels, audiobooks, pre-2024 novels, new-to-me-authors in 2024 and overall favourite books of 2024), by examining my favourite debuts released in 2024.

2024 was an awesome year for debuts as there were an excellent array of new authors releasing some impressive and entertaining first novels. I always love checking out new authors when they produce their first book or dive into a whole new genre, and I was blown away with some of the debut talent on display this year. As such, I am glad that I can highlight some of the absolute best of these releases in this Top Ten list.

To be eligible for this list, the book had to be a 2024 release that was either the author’s first novel ever, or a novel that was substantially different from an author’s previous work (their debut in the genre). I ended up reading quite a few good debuts in 2024, which allowed me to pull together a full list of 10 books, as well as a couple of honourable mentions. I am pretty happy with the results, and I feel that this list captures my favourite debuts of the year and highlights them accordingly. So, let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead by Jenny Hollander

A moving novel about guilt and secrets, as a damaged protagonist is confronted by a dark incident from her past.

Hollywood Hustle by Jon Lindstrom

An exciting, fast-paced thriller from actor Jon Lindstrom that was fun to check out.

Top Ten List:

Warhammer 40,000: Renegades: Lord of Excess by Rich McCormick

The first book I want to highlight is the epic debut novel from Rich McCormick, Lord of Excess. McCormick’s very first novel, Lord of Excess was part of the Renegades sub-series of Warhammer 40,000 fiction and followed a warband of the fallen Emperor’s Children Legion of Chaos Space Marines who have completely fallen to hedonism and the pursuit of pleasure. McCormick came up with an exceptional plot for Lord of Excess that saw the warband take over an isolated planet, only for their dark proclivities to turn on them in unexpected ways. This was such a clever and compelling read, and Lord of Excess ended up being one my favourite books and audiobooks of 2024 and is a very worthy addition to this list of great debuts.

Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland

I had a lot of fun reading the awesome fantasy novel, Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland last year and had to include it on this list. The first adult fantasy novel from Corland, who previously released children and young adult fiction under the name Meridith Ireland, Five Broken Blades was an excellent book that saw several dangerous killers and liars come together to assassinate an immortal king, only to betray each other time and time again. I had a really good time with Five Broken Blades, and I am actually listening to the sequel, Four Ruined Realms as I put this post up.

The Ascent by Adam Plantinga

The most recent 2024 debut I read; The Ascent was an extremely epic thriller loaded with action, excitement and over-the-top characters. The debut novel of author Adam Plantinga, The Ascent follows a desperate battle for survival as a small group find themselves trapped in a rioting prison and must fight their way up several levels of dangerous criminal to get to safety. An intense and ultra-thrilling book from start to finish, The Ascent was such a great read, and I am very glad I decided to check it out.

The Silverblood Promise by James Logan

A bold new fantasy author debuted in 2024 with James Logan, who released the outstanding book The Silverblood Promise. Setting a dishonoured scion on a desperate quest to find his father’s killers, The Silverblood Promise introduced a cool new fantasy city that the protagonist is forced to navigate as he tries to secure a vital clue. However, he soon finds himself caught up in an elaborate conspiracy and must rely on an unlikely group of allies to survive and overcome his new opponents. This was a particularly awesome novel that really impressed me, as Logan weaves together a compelling tale of adventure, magic and intrigue that I couldn’t get enough of. One of the stronger fantasy books of 2024, The Silverblood Promise was an amazing first novel from Logan and I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel, The Blackfire Blade, later this year.

Outrider by Mark Wales

Next on this list of amazing debuts is the intense first book from Australian author Mark Wales, Outrider. Envisioning a grim future for Australia, Wales sets out a thrilling tale of survival and war as an elite soldier traverses a conquered countryside with his young son, hoping to recover an asset that will allow his group of rebels to survive an enemy incursion. An exciting and compelling read, Outrider was a very distinctive Australian book and a great debut from Mark Wales.

Warhammer 40,000: Deathworlder by Victoria Hayward

The other incredible Warhammer 40,000 debut of 2024 that I want to highlight in this post was the dark and chilling Deathworlder by new author Victoria Hayward. Set on a doomed planet being consumed by the alien Tyranids, Deathworlder follows a small group of rugged human soldiers as they attempt to complete one last mission against their ravenous enemies. A powerful Warhammer read, Hayward did an outstanding job of balancing complex characters with a particularly grim scenario, as the protagonists witness the world being digested around them as they are being stalked by deadly monsters. Easily one of the more haunting books of 2024, Deathworlder was an outstanding debut, and Hayward is a Warhammer author to keep an eye on in the future.

The Recruiter by Gregg Podolski

2024 was full of fun thrillers but one of the most entertaining was the cool first book from Gregg Podolski, The Recruiter. Following a criminal recruiter who specialises in bringing together professional killers with potential clients, The Recruiter sees the protagonist forced to fight against his best assassins when the family he left behind is targeted by a sinister organisation. Featuring a distinctive story and fantastic characters, The Recruiter was a very fun book to get through, and I look forward to any sequels Podolski plans to release.

Song of the Samurai by C. A. Parker

Fans of Japanese history where in for a real treat last year with the amazing debut, Song of the Samurai by C. A. Parker. An extremely fascinating tale of a celebrated historical samurai musician and pilgrim, Song of the Samurai followed this figure as he traversed Japan, learning about the people of his country and the true nature of the music that he played. This was such a great first book from Parker, who does an amazing job envisioning the classic setting of historical Japan and following a compelling figure across the intricately described landscape. A deep and memorable read from a passionate author.

The Chilling by Riley James

Another great Australian debut from 2024 was The Chilling by Riley James. Following the members of an Antarctica research expedition who encounter a sunken ship on the way to their base camp, The Chilling sees the characters thrust into a dark adventure as secrets, lies and the debilitating isolation, turn the researchers against each other as they try to uncover the truth. The Chilling was a really cool (ha ha) book, and a fantastic first foray into Australian fiction from new author Riley James.

Argylle by Elly Conway

The final debut I want to highlight on this list is the spy thriller Argylle, by “debuting author” Elly Conway. A tie-in to the film of the same name, Argylle was an exciting and very easy-to-read book from the start of 2024 that I had a bit of fun getting through. Actually written by the team of Terry Hayes and Tammy Cohen, I am still counting Argylle as a debut and it proved to be an entertaining final book to feature on this list.

Well, that is the end of this list. As you can, there were some incredible debut novels that came out this year and I had a blast getting through all of them. Each of the above debuts are really worth checking out, and I had an amazing time exploring these talented authors’ first forays into fiction. I am excited to see what these authors produce next, and I have a feeling that quite a few are going to become major names in their genres. I am also excited to see what amazing debuts come out in 2025, and I have already enjoyed my first debut from this year with Gunnawah by Ronni Salt. Make sure to check back this time next year to see what debuts from 2025 are the best from this year.

Top Ten Tuesday – Books I Meant to Read in 2024 but Didn’t Get To

On January 14, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn List9 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers creating and sharing lists on various book topics. For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, participants were required to list their bookish goals for 2025. While this is an interesting topic, I am instead going to continue my recent trend of end of year and examining the best books released in 2024. As such I will be listening the top books I meant to read in 2024 but that I didn’t get a chance to.

2024 was a pretty awesome year for books and I had such an outstanding time getting through a solid collection of books from new-to-me authors, exciting sequels and fun older novels, most of which were fun and impressive reads. However, no matter how hard one tries there are always a couple of books each year that you don’t get the chance to read, either due to time constraints, lack of access or being too overwhelmed with other reads. As a result, this is a list loaded with regret as each book I mention below is one that I really wish I had taken the time to explore.

To complete this list, I pulled together some of the more interesting and compelling novels that I didn’t get a chance to read in 2024. Each entry was released last year and while knew that they were coming out I did not get a chance to read any of them. In many cases I have these books sitting on my shelf, silently and constantly judging me, and I will have to try and read them to stop their bookish glares. I was eventually able to cull my list of regret down to 10 entries with an honourable mentions section. This list is an interesting collection of books from across the genres and include several major 2024 releases I did not get the chance to look at.

Honourable Mention:

Off Midway Station by Marc Alan Edelheit

An intriguing science fiction release that I’m still hoping to get around to exploring.

Burn Out by Joshua Hood

An exciting thriller about a smoke jumper forced to work for the CIA that I really wanted to check out. This book sounded awesome and I’m sorry to have missed it.

In Too Deep by Lee Child and Andrew Child

I’m still haven’t had the chance to read a Jack Reacher novel yet, although last year’s entry, In Too Deep, is high up on my to-read list.

How to Solve Your Own Murder by Bristen Perrin

One of the top debut mysteries of 2024, I’m still thinking about checking How to Solve Your Own Murder out, especially as there is a sequel coming out soon.

Top Ten List:

The Sky on Fire by Jenn Lyons

An awesome sounding book about a dangerous heist involving dragons and magic. I really enjoyed the sound of the synopsis for The Sky on Fire last year, but I unfortunately couldn’t fit it into my reading schedule. I still have a copy and I’m hoping to get around to checking this book out at some point this year, especially as I really want to finally read something from Lyons.

Death on the Tiber by Lindsey Davis

One of the books I most regret not reading in 2024 was the new Lindsey Davis novel, Death on the Tiber. The latest entry in one of my favourite historical fiction series, I fully intended to read Death on the Tiber last year, but I never had the time to pick it up. Featuring a cool new mystery in ancient Rome, Death on the Tiber sounded like a key book in the series and I’m interested to see what happens next. I honestly might make the effort to read Death on the Tiber in the next week or so, especially as Davis has another book coming out in April that I’m also keen to read.

Star Wars: Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss by Steven Barnes

I didn’t get through nearly as much Star Wars fiction in 2024 as I would have liked, especially as there were a couple of very cool new entries in the franchise out last year. This includes the Mace Windu novel, The Glass Abyss by Steven Barnes. Thanks to its intriguing plot, The Glass Abyss was very high on my to-read list, and I thought it had a lot of potential. I’m still hoping to listen to The Glass Abyss on audiobook in the coming months, and I have no doubt I will have a great time with it.

Saturation Point by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Adrian Tchaikovsky had a massive year in 2024, releasing four separate awesome books. As a recently converted fan of Tchaikovsky, I tried to check out all of them, but only got through two, Alien Clay and Service Model (one of my favourite books of 2024). The main Tchaikovsky book I missed was Saturation Point, which featured an intriguing science fiction story that explores a new, extra-deadly jungle growing at the equator. I am hoping to listen to the audiobook version of Saturation Point sometime this year, especially as it has a relatively short run time, and I look forward to seeing how it turns out. In the meantime, I am also hoping to read Tchaikovsky’s latest novel, Days of Shattered Faith, which, while it technically came out last year, I’m probably going to consider a 2025 release going forward due to the differences in release dates for Australia.

The Chamber by Will Dean

One of the more unique novels I missed out on in 2024 was The Chamber by Will Dean. This excellent book sees a murder occur underwater hyperbaric chamber, then forces the remaining divers to try and uncover the killer while they wait for decompression to occur. This was such a cool sounding plot, and I am still hoping to explore The Chamber soon, mainly because I am so damn curious about how this narrative would unfold.

Good Boys by Jeremy Robinson

Jeremy Robinson is another author on this list who released multiple books in 2024. While I did enjoy his compelling and freaky novel Point Nemo, I missed out on reading his two Good Boys novels (The Lost Tribe and Unleashed) that came out towards the end of the year. These books follow an interesting alien encounter tale that only an author as unique as Robinson could imagine. I have been trying to read more of Robinson’s novels in recent years so I might try and listen to the Good Boys audiobooks soon, especially as they sound very exciting and will no doubt contain the author’s fun humour.

The First Murder on Mars by Sam Wilson

An intriguing science fiction thriller about the first murder on Mars. This debut novel from Sam Wilson caught my eye earlier this year and I had really hoped to check it out. Unfortunately, I couldn’t never make enough time, which I very much regret as this sounded like a great book.

The Out-of-Town Lawyer by Robert Rotstein

I love a good legal thriller, which is why I was annoyed with myself for not reading Robert Rotstein’s distinctive novel, The Out-of-Town Lawyer. Focussing on a nomadic lawyer who takes on tough case, The Out-of-Town Lawyer would see the protagonist return to his hometown to defend a controversial killer from a prejudice legal system. I felt that The Out-of-Town Lawyer had a lot of potential, and I am even more keen to read it now after having just re-read the compelling synopsis.

Star Wars: The Living Force by John Jackson Miller

Another Star Wars book I hoped to read in 2024 was The Living Force by the always impressive John Jackson Miller. Focussing on the Jedi Council in the lead up to The Phantom Menace, The Living Force sounded like an interesting and lore-heavy book that would have focussed on a cool group of supporting characters from the prequel films. I know that Miller would have provided a captivating dive into these figures, and I am sure that I will have a great time with The Living Force’s audiobook if I get a chance to listen to it this year.

Danube Legion by Laurence Read

The final book I needed to feature on this list was the fascinating sounding historical fiction novel, Danube Legion. A fantastic Roman history novel, Danube Legion caught my eye because the plot promised to explore the logistics behind the deployment of a Roman Legion, which is something you don’t see a lot of in other historical fiction books. I honestly found this plot idea to be very awesome, and I really wish that I could have fit Danube Legion into my reading schedule last year. This is another one I am hoping to check out this year as well, as it sounds like quite a cracking read with a great plot behind it.

Well, that is the end of my latest list and it looks like I have a lot catch-up reading to do if I am going to make a dent in it. There are some truly amazing-sounding novels on this list, and I fully intend to get through all of them at some point, although with all the outstanding books coming out in 2025, it might take me a little time. In the meantime, let me know what books you most regret not reading in 2024 in the comments below.

Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Thrillers, Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction and Comics releasing in the First Half of 2025

On January 8, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn Comics/Manga, Historical Fiction, List, Murder Mystery, Thriller13 Comments

Welcome to my second Top Ten Tuesday list of the week, were I look at my most anticipated thrillers, crime fiction and historical fiction novels coming out in the first half of 2025. Traditionally I usually only do one list to represent the top upcoming books for the year, however, I was inspired to separate out the fantasy and science fiction novels into my previous list, while this list will feature epic reads from the other major genres that I am interested in.

Despite only just starting, 2025 is already shaping up to be an epic and exciting year for books with a huge range of impressive and highly anticipated novels due for release in the next 12 months. This includes exciting debuts, anticipated sequels and the latest entries in beloved bestselling series. The first half of the year is looking particularly awesome, with a substantial number of incredible upcoming releases that I am deeply looking forward to.

Even though I excluded fantasy and science fiction books, this ended up being a rather difficult list to pull together due to all the awesome releases coming out in Australia or on Netgalley between 1 January 2025 and 30 June 2025. There were way too many extraordinary upcoming books that I could have included, and I ended up having to make some very tough calls and cutting several novels that have an immense amount of potential. Despite this, I am rather happy with the eventual choices that I made, and I think that this list reflects the upcoming novels and comics I am going to have the most fun reading. However, there are also some interesting new books that I am discussing for the first time here, so that should give this list a bit of variety. So let us get to my selections and find out which upcoming novels are my most anticipated releases for the first half of 2025.

Honourable Mentions:

Open Season by Jonathan Kellerman – 6 February 2025

An interesting and entertaining new murder mystery from one of my yearly must-read authors, Open Season continues the awesome Alex Delaware series and pits the detective protagonists against a killer determined to take out Hollywood hopefuls.

Pacific Heights by S. R. White – 25 March 2025

One of the more interesting authors of Australian crime fiction, S. R. White (see my reviews for Prisoner, Red Dirt Road and White Ash Ridge) is set to release a standalone whodunnit with Pacific Heights. Featuring a cool plot about detectives trying to unwind different stories about who killed someone from five separate witnesses, Pacific Heights sounds really awesome, and I cannot wait to check it out.

The Pilgrim’s Revenge by Scott Mariani by 24 April 2025

An exciting and intense revenge thriller set in the time of King Richard the Lionheart; The Pilgrim’s Revenge should be a very epic read.

Vanish by Shelley Burr – 30 April 2025

Rising Australian author Shelley Burr follows up her excellent first two crime fiction novels, Wake and Ripper with the intriguing third entry Vanish. Once again set in a small Australian community, Vanish will see the series’ damaged protagonist investigate a problematic commune as he attempts to find out the truth behind a long-lost missing girl. Sure to be one of the top Australian releases of 2025.

Top Ten Tuesday:

Grave Danger by James Grippando – 14 January 2025

Back in 2024 I had the pleasure of reading my first book from impressive James Grippando, Goodbye Girl, a fantastic entry in the author’s Jack Swyteck series. A compelling and twisty legal thriller, Goodbye Girl was really fun to read, and I am now quite keen to continue the series. As such, I am planning to grab the upcoming book, Grave Danger, as soon as it comes out. Featuring an intriguing case about international child custody and murder, Grave Danger has some real potential, and I know I am going to have a great time with this awesome book.

Usagi Yojimbo: Volume 40: The Crow by Stan Sakai – 4 February 2025

A very easy inclusion to this list was the next entry in one of my favourite comic book series with volume 40 of the Usagi Yojimbo series, The Crow. I only just published a review of the previous volume, Ice and Snow, a few days ago, so I am quite excited to see that a new entry is coming out very soon. Set to continue some of the author’s excellent ongoing storylines about the titular rabbit ronin, The Crow should be another awesome volume in the series, and I cannot wait to get my hands on it the first chance I get.

Nemesis by Gregg Hurwitz – 11 February 2025

Early 2025 is filled with a ton of great spy thrillers from some of my favourite authors, and that includes the new Orphan X book from Gregg Hurwitz, Nemesis. Set after the events of the 2024 book, Lone Wolf, Nemesis will see the former government assassin turned vigilante protagonist square off against his best friend over secrets that were kept from him. However, other shadowy players soon reveal themselves, and Orphan X will need to fight deadly enemies and a former friend to survive. This looks set to be a particularly compelling and emotionally charged addition to the series and I cannot wait to check it out.

The Medici Return by Steve Berry – 11 February 2025

Each year I have a ton of fun with the entertaining and elaborate Cotton Malone books by Steve Berry that combine modern thriller storylines with hidden historical secrets and elaborate historical settings. Books like The Malta Exchange, The Warsaw Protocol, The Kaiser’s Web, The Last Kingdom and The Atlas Maneuver, have all really impressed me, and the Cotton Malone books are now a must-read for me each year. This includes the early 2025 release, The Medici Return, which will see a dark conspiracy emerge in Italy when an ancient debt owed by the church threatens to destabilise everything. This sounds like another awesome thriller, and I cannot wait to dive into the history of the famous Medici family with this new fantastic book.

Midnight Black by Mark Greaney – 18 February 2025

A spy thriller book I am particularly keen to get my hands on this year is Midnight Black by Mark Greaney. The 14^th book in Greaney’s Gray Man series, Midnight Black follows on after the cliffhanger ending of The Chaos Agent and sees the titular assassin protagonist burn through Russia and Siberia to free his imprisoned love interest. This latest Gray Man book has the potential to be one of the most intense and impressive novels of 2025, and I cannot wait to see how Greaney continues his elaborate and always action-packed series.

Burn to Shine by Jonathan Maberry – 4 March 2025

Readers of this blog will know I am a huge fan of Jonathan Maberry, so the inclusion of his next big thriller, Burn to Shine, on this list should come as no surprise, especially after I just published reviews of his 2024 books NecroTek and The Dragon in Winter. Once again focussing on the author’s iconic protagonist, Joe Ledger, Burn to Shine will be the fourth book in the Rogue Team International series, which has previously featured such awesome books as Rage (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2019), Relentless (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021), and Cave 13 (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023). This new entry in the series will see Ledger and his team deal with a new world-ending threat, with old enemies returning, seeking revenge. I really love the sound of this new book, and I already know it’s going to get a five-star rating from me.

A Death in Berlin by Simon Scarrow – 13 March 2025

After wowing me last year with Revenge of Rome, one of my favourite historical fiction authors, Simon Scarrow looks set to continue one of his other cool series with the third Berlin Wartime thriller, A Death in Berlin. Following on from Blackout and Dead of Night, A Death in Berlin will once again place Scarrow’s complex protagonist, the last honest detective in Berlin, as he tries to investigate dark crimes in the shadow of World War II and the crimes of the Nazi regime. I have deeply enjoyed the previous Berlin Wartime thrillers, and I cannot wait to see what elaborate story Scarrow has for us this time.

The White Fortress by Boyd and Beth Morrison – 15 April 2025

The awesome team of thriller author Boyd Morrison and historian Beth Morrison return with the third book in their Tales of the Lawless Land series, The White Fortress. Continuing the story started in The Lawless Land and its sequel The Last True Templar, The White Fortress will once again follow the author’s excommunicated knight protagonist and his adventurous wife as they become embroiled in dangerous quests across 14^th century Europe. This time, the pair end up in Croatia, where they become involved in a deadly plot involving a prophecy and a lost codex written by Marco Polo. I have had an amazing time with the first two books in the series and I cannot wait to see how this wonderful pair of authors continue their ambitious and thrilling historical series.

Nightshade by Michael Connelly – 20 May 2025

One of my most anticipated upcoming murder mysteries is the new Michael Connelly novel, Nightshade. While the cover for Nightshade has yet to be released, the plot synopsis sounds really cool as Connelly introduces a new police protagonist assigned to the idyllic Catalina Island off the coast of Los Angeles who is forced to investigate a sinister murder when a body washes up on the shore of the island. I love the idea of exploring a new Connelly character, especially one based around a cool setting, and this should end up being an excellent and strong murder mystery from this always compelling author.

Never Flinch by Stephen King – 27 May 2025

The final book I want to highlight on this list is probably the one I am most excited for this year with the new Stephen King novel, Never Flinch. I have been having such a great time getting into Stephen King’s incredible books these last few years, and some of his most recent releases, such as Later, Fairy Tale, Billy Summers and You Like It Darker, have completely enthralled me. However, my favourite Stephen King books have so far been his compelling dives into crime fiction. Starting with the dark and powerful Mr Mercedes and featuring the three outstanding Bill Hodges books, King has expanded his crime fiction works by focussing on the unique protagonist of Holly Gibney. The subsequent Holly Gibney focused books, The Outsider (one of my favourite horror novels) and Holly (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023), were extremely exceptional, and I have loved the brilliant, yet shocking, narratives they contained. As such, I am very, very keen to read the upcoming Holly Gibney book, Never Flinch. Set to follow this great protagonist as she deals with two dangerous opponents, a serial killer and a stalker, Never Flinch sounds incredible, and I have no doubt this will be one of the best things I read in 2025.

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 books that should prove to be incredible reads. I think that nearly every one of these books has the potential to get a full five-star rating from me and I cannot wait to see what amazing and exciting stories they contain. While I am waiting to get my hands on these books, why not let me know if any of the above interest you, as well as what your most anticipated releases for the next six months are in the comments below. Also, make sure to check out my other Top Ten List with the top upcoming fantasy and science fiction books of 2025.

Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Fantasy/Science Fiction Books Release in the First Half of 2025

On January 8, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, List, Science Fiction15 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 Top Ten Tuesday, I will be listing my most anticipated books for the first half of the year. This is a regular post I do each year and I always look forward to highlighting the most awesome looking books for the start of the year. Because there are so many incredible reads coming out across the genres, I am doing two versions of this list, this first one that will exclusively look at upcoming fantasy and science fiction books, and another that will focus on upcoming books from other genres, including thrillers, crime fiction, historical fiction and more.

2025 is shaping up to be an outstanding year for fantasy and science fiction with a ton of epic and amazing sounding novels set for release throughout the year. I am particularly excited about the next six months as there are some deeply impressive books coming out that I am extremely keen for. This includes some fantastic sounding sequels, continuations to brilliant series, and several cool new novels from some very talented authors. I have already highlighted several of these books in some previous lists and Waiting on Wednesday articles which has made me really appreciate just how awesome the upcoming year is going to be in the fantasy and science fiction space, hence this list.

Just like with my other list of the night, I am only featuring books that are set for release in Australia or on Netgalley between 1 January 2025 and 30 June 2025 which I have some descent details about. Despite only being fantasy and science fiction books, I ended up with a huge collection of exceptional novels that I wanted to feature, which made completing this list surprisingly difficult. I was eventually able to break it down to the best 10 books (with honourable mentions), and I feel that I have capture the books that are going to be the best fantasy and science fiction reads of 2025. So let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

Four Ruined Realms by Mai Corland – 7 January 2025

The awesome action-packed sequel to Corland’s fantastic 2024 novel, Five Broken Blades, Four Ruined Realms is going to be a fantastic read, filled with drama, betrayal and great characters.

An Ethical Guide to Murder by Jenny Morris – 15 January 2025

A fun thriller debut with an interesting fantasy twist, as a woman with the ability to take life from one person and transfer it to someone else, tries to determine the best way to use her gift and ethically kill those who deserve to live.

A Song of Legends Lost by M. H. Ayinde – 8 April 2025

Another cool upcoming debut is the fantasy novel, A Song of Legends Lost by M. H. Ayinde. Featuring an intriguing plot set around revenge and spirt magic, A Song of Legends Lost has so much potential, and I look forward to reading it.

Strange New World by Vivian Shaw – 20 May 2025

I was pleasantly surprised to see we are getting a new Dr Greta Helsing novel this year with Strange New World. Following a doctor who specialises in treating monsters and the undead, this is a fantastic series (see my reviews for Strange Practice and Dreadful Company), and I look forward to seeing how it continues.

Top Ten Tuesday:

Warhammer 40,000: Leontus: Lord Solar by Rob Young – 28 January 2025

The first upcoming book I want to highlight is the next big Warhammer 40,000 fiction release, Leontus: Lord Solar. Following a skilled human leader who finds himself trapped on an ork infested world, Leontus; Lord Solar looks to be an exciting story of survival and overcoming the odds that I really love the sound of. I am also interested to see how author Rob Young goes with his second book, as his first novel, Longshot, was one of my favourite debuts of 2023.

Star Wars: Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear by Alexander Freed – 25 February 2025

There are several cool Star Wars novels coming out in 2025, however, the one I am most excited for is The Mask of Fear by Alexander Freed. The first book in the new Reign of the Empire series, The Mask of Fear will follow the early days of the Empire as it comes to power and takes over the former Republic. Written by the very talented Alexander Freed, who really impressed me with his previous foray into Star Wars fiction with the Alphabet Squadron books (Alphabet Squadron, Shadow Fall and Victory’s Price), I think that this book has a lot of potential, and I love seeing stories set in this period of Star Wars fiction. As such I am planning to listen to the audiobook version of The Mask of Fear the second it comes out and I know I’m going to love it.

Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 27 February 2025

Awesome science fiction and fantasy author Adrian Tchaikovsky had a great 2024 with books like Alien Clay and Service Model, so I am excited to see what he writes in 2025. It looks like he’ll be off to a strong start with the science fiction novel, Shroud, that sees two women trapped on a planet whose surface is completely inhospitable to human life. This sounds like a very gritty and claustrophobic read, and I cannot wait to see how dark and dramatic Tchaikovsky makes this upcoming book.

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins – 18 March 2025

A major 2025 release that I’m sure a lot of people are excited for is the fifth book in the iconic Hunger Games franchise, Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins. The second prequel set around the original Hunger Games trilogy (see my review for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes), Sunrise on the Reaping will take readers back to the 50^th Hunger Games and explore the dark events that twisted fan favourite character Haymitch Abernathy. I am extremely excited to read Sunrise on the Reaping, especially as we get to see the ultra-violent second Quarter Quell in action, and it will be interesting to see how Collins’ sets this latest book out.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi – 25 March 2025

One of the more unique books coming out in 2025 is When the Moon Hits Your Eye by the always memorable John Scalzi. Featuring a very fun science fiction plot that sees the moon suddenly turned into a giant ball of cheese, When the Moon Hits Your Eye sounds so damn outrageous, and I know I’m going to love it. Based on Scalzi’s previous entertaining reads, I have no doubt this will be crazy, funny and thoughtful in equal measure, and I will have so much fun checking it out.

Whisper in the Wind by Luke Arnold – 1 April 2025

One of my favourite urban fantasy series, the Fetch Phillips series by Australian author Luke Arnolds, returns this year with another awesome book, Whisper in the Wind. Set in a fantasy city which has lost all its magic, the Fetch Phillip books follow broken and guilty private investigator Fetch Phillips who is desperately trying to bring back magic, and which results in some dark and powerful adventures (see The Last Smile in Sunder City, Dead Man in a Ditch and One Foot in the Fade). This fourth book will see Fetch dragged out of retirement in back into action when a series of murders brings trouble and potential revolution to his door. Arnold honestly gets better with every book he writes, and I am expecting another outstanding novel with Whisper in the Wind.

A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett – 8 April 2025

One book I am particularly keen for in 2025 is the awesome second entry in the Shadow of the Leviathan series by Robert Jackson Bennett, A Drop of Corruption. The sequel to one of my favourite books of 2024, The Tainted Cup, A Drop of Corruption will continue to follow an unlikely investigative duo as they attempt to solve unusual magical murders in a land constantly besieged by giant monsters. This second book will feature an impossible locked room mystery as the protagonists attempt to unwind a dark conspiracy that threatens the entire realm. I have no doubt that this is going to be a particularly incredible novel, and I am hoping to read A Drop of Corruption very soon.

The Book That Held Her Heart by Mark Lawrence – 8 April 2025

One of the more complex science fiction and fantasy novels I will be reading in 2025 will be the third and final book in Mark Lawrence’s Library trilogy, The Book That Held Her Heart. Following on from The Book That Wouldn’t Burn and The Book That Broke the World, The Book That Held Her Heart will show the final battle for the impossible and infinite library, as the two separated protagonists must find a way back to each other to save the lives of those closest to them. I have no doubt this will be a moving, captivating and elaborate read, and I am very curious to see how Lawrence brings this entire ambitious series to an end.

The Devils by Joe Abercrombie – 6 May 2025

Easily the book that I am most excited about in 2025 (and I’m sure a lot of fantasy fans are in the same boat) is The Devils by Joe Abercrombie. Abercrombie has proven to be the master of dark fantasy fiction thanks to his iconic First Law series, as well as the incredible follow up Age of Madness trilogy. All of these books are just incredible, and I had a lot of fun reading and reviewing the Age of Madness books a couple of years ago, including A Little Hatred (one of my favourite books of 2019), The Trouble With Peace (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2020) and The Wisdom of Crowds (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021). I have been eagerly awaiting a new Abercrombie novel since The Wisdom of Crowds, and I was so damn happy to see he had a book coming out this year with The Devils. Set in an alternate medieval Europe, The Devils will follow a hapless priest as he tries to bind a congregation of monsters to save the world from a coming apocalypse. This book has so much pure potential and I have no doubt at all that it will end up being one of the best things I read this year.

Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me by Django Wexler – 27 May 2025

The final book I want to highlight on this list is the hilarious sounding novel, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me by Django Wexler. The sequel to one of the funniest fantasy novels of 2024, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me will once again follow the unlikely Dark Lord of the realms, Davi, a human trapped in fantasy themed time loop who starts her adventure again after every painful death. This second book will see Davi attempt to save her former human subjects from her own upcoming invasion, only to encounter new opponents and obstacles. I had so much fun with How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, and this sequel should be another brilliant comedic romp that I know I am going to love.

Well, that’s the end of this first list. As you can see, there are some mighty impressive fantasy and science fiction books coming out the first half of this year. All the above entries on this list have an incredible amount of potential and I have a feeling I am going to deeply enjoy every single of one of these great reads. 2025 is going to be an outstanding year for these two genres, not only with these amazing books, but because of some of the other ones potentially coming out later this year. I look forward to seeing how all these cool novels turn out and I think I am going to have an incredible time reading fantasy and science fiction in 2025. Make sure to also check out my other Top Ten List that looks at the top upcoming books of 2025 from the other genres.